


Legend of the Slash Dogs

by Tohka_Yatogami



Category: Highschool DxD (Anime)
Genre: F/M, Female Vali
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-01
Updated: 2018-06-01
Packaged: 2021-03-18 01:40:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 46,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28984260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tohka_Yatogami/pseuds/Tohka_Yatogami
Summary: (Imported from fanfiction.net)Prequel story to the Revised version of the original LOHD, based on the first light novel for Slashdog, based on DxD character "Tobio Ikuse"
Relationships: Sae Toujou/Tobio Ikuse





	1. Chapter 1

**Welcome everyone, today I'm finally starting a story that I've been promising you all for a while, one of the prequels to "Legend of the Heavenly Dragons" that's based on the SLASHDOG novels... "Legend of the Slash Dogs!" We're gonna see the story of Tobio as it happens in the "Heavenly Dragons" universe, since anyone who's read that story knows by now that I've had Vali mention the importance of these events.**

**As of right now, while SLASHDOG has been upgraded to an official light novel that'll have more than a single volume, I have little information on the differences that the first novel will have from the original, but I do know it won't comprise of the everything that Ishibumi's planned for it. From what things look like right now, I'm expecting this story will adapt things up to the first 2 or 3 novels at best.**

**To start things off for everyone that's a new reader? If you haven't read "Legend of the Heavenly Dragons" before this story, then there's no need for you to go read that one first, as while there are spoilers to events in that story, you won't be able to understand what they are in this story until you read it. To be more specific, this prequel is only one small part of the main trilogy.**

**Oh, and if you came here because you've seen the other prequel story, "Legend of the Twin Longinus", which is meant to indirectly represent the Denpachi novel through an original story? This story is also a prequel to that one, but no need to worry, as only one thing in this story related that one is a brief mention of Cassiel that isn't important until then and doesn't give away much, so both stories can be read simultaneously without worry.**

**Although, for the sake of those unfamiliar with this detail revealed in LOHD's first chapter, and to avoid misunderstandings? In the "Heavenly Dragon" series, Devils and Demons are separate species, so any mention of the two as different species is intentional. The reasoning makes more sense once you get to Chapter 7, but that's as far as I'll elaborate as it's a major spoiler.**

**For the other major details? The main difference of the "Heavenly Dragon" series is that the Vali of the story is a female and the protagonist, although she's only a supporting character in this story since Tobio and Sae have the major roles. Issei will also appear, but only at the beginning and end, since he's only meant to appear in a scene that connects this story to LOHD, due to being told about the events by Tobio after he asks him about it.**

**Now, with all of that said? It's time to begin this prequel!**

* * *

**()** \- Albion Talking

 **«»** \- Consciousness of any other Sacred Gear Talking

〖〗 - Voice Speaking through a Magic Circle

 **「」** \- Insert Song Beginning, or Ending

 **【】** \- Voice made by an Announcement, or through an Announcer

 **⟨⟩** \- Custom Spell's Aria Chant

『』 - Electrical Voice or Machine Speaking

* * *

**Canis Lykaon**

**One of the Longinus, holding the spirit of the Inugami, a powerful Youkai linked to the night sky. An independent avatar-type Sacred Gear that takes the form of a large black wolf with a red spot on its forehead. Even among normal Sacred Gears, the story behind the Canis Lykaon's creation is incredibly abnormal, as it managed to become a Longinus without having a host by complete accident.**

**When it bonded to its first host, the Inugami explained that one fateful night, it found the broken remains of a rare-type of Sacred Gear known as a "Night Reflection", and tried to possess it... however, it went the opposite way it expected, and threatened to absorb the Youkai's into nothingness. Trying to avoid this fate, it believed it must try possessing an item of similar power to counter the original Sacred Gear's possession.**

**Luckily, its assumption was correct, and it would later encounter its first host by possessing their Sacred Gear. The result merged its form with both Sacred Gears, allowing it to stay independent, but also become its partner's original scythe, which gained a stronger version of the broken Night Reflection's abilities. Because it fit the quota, this made it evolve into a Longinus.**

**Due to it being a fusion of Sacred Gears, the Canis Lykaon has _two_ levels to its Balance Breaker, the first level is unlocked from the start as a result of the damaged Night Reflection having unlocked it before the fusion. The second level is tied to the original Scythe, and the one that needs to be unlocked to evolve the first. Also, while unlocked by default, a certain quota is required to use the first level.**

**The current wielder of the Canis Lykaon is Tobio Ikuse, the leader of the Slash/Dog Team, and one of the many known as the strongest Humans.**

* * *

**_Chapter 1, Rise of the Utsusemi Arc: The Ryoukuu Tragedy_ **

The scene opened to the sight of various guests being gathered together in a grand ballroom within the city of Lucifaad, the Capital City of Hell. The entire room was decorated with colors of gold, platinum and diamond, and those attended with wearing what they considered their finery to celebrate a special occasion.

Said occasion just happened to be the bachelor party of Issei Elohim, the former Queen of Vali Lucifer, and her fiancé.

Speaking of Issei himself, he was seen at one of the tables full of food with Bikou at his side. As he grabbed a piece of a rib, Tobio and Jin walked up to him, the former holding two bottles of wine in his hands.

"Issei, as the unofficial brother of the coming bride, I owe you a drink!" Tobio offered.

"Uh... Tobio, you do remember that I'm still a minor, right?" Issei reminded him.

The wielder of the Canis Lykaon flinched, while Jin lowered his head, soon laughing in the manner only a wolf could.

"Aw man! Normally this is how you celebrate a bachelor party, why'd Hades have to make this happen sooner?" Tobio groaned.

Issei gave him a strange look, making Tobio sweat a bit.

"Wait, don't take that like it sounded! I'm happy for you and Vali!" Tobio waved his free hand out.

"Ooh, guess you're the awkward older brother!" Bikou chuckled.

Tobio sighed, while Issei pat his shoulder a bit.

"If it helps, you can drink the wine as I just have some grape juice to act as fake champagne." Issei offered, noticing some nearby.

"Sure, I'll drink to that." Tobio agreed.

While the Sekiryuutei went to grab the grape juice, Tobio poured a glass of wine to the new Monkey King, and the trio hit their glasses together as they gave their cheers.

"A toast to new Prince of the Lucifer Clan!" Bikou cheered.

"Bikou, did you really have to put it like that?" Issei sighed, well aware he'd be taking Vali's surname.

The three all sipped their respective glasses, right before Tobio noticed his unofficial soon to be brother-in-law looking at him.

"Something wrong?" He inquired.

"Not a bit, just realizing that while Vali mentioned how she met you shortly after we became a couple, I've never actually heard the full story of what happened." Issei mentioned.

"The Utsusemi incident... haven't thought about that in a long time." Tobio recalled.

He put his drink down, looking at the Red Dragon Emperor.

"Bikou, go find the rest of Vali's peerage in case they want to hear this. I'll get things started." The Canis Lykaon wielder requested.

"Got it." The Monkey King agreed.

Issei looked at the fabled Slash/Dog, who cleared his throat in response.

"Well, it all started this one fateful day. A school field trip... that went horribly wrong." He revealed.

* * *

**_~15 Years Ago, January 17th - Unknown Location_ **

_He never knew if what he had seen that day was just a dream, or maybe some kind of vision, but what he did know was this... it was a memory he firmly clung to. No, it was more accurate to say it was a memory he would never be able to forget._

_It was back in his childhood, during his days as a 6-year old in Elementary School, when he decided to travel to some ruins in the neighboring town to play adventurer._

_"Ha! Take that, rah!" He shouted, kicking the air as he jumped around._

_As he landed on the snow, a loud squish was heard as he giggled with a care, until..._

_*FLAP*_

_That sound caught his attention, wondering where it came from._

_"Is that a bird?" He wondered._

_Hearing the same flapping again, he turned around to look, and then saw a black feather fall in front of him. Picking it up, he looked at it, thinking it was from some kinda a bird... until he saw it was way to huge to belong to any bird he was sure even lived in his area of Japan._

_"What is this feather from?" He questioned, scratching his head._

_"Oh dear, that's embarrassing." Someone giggled._

_Jumping back in surprise, he turned around to see someone standing behind him... with ten wings resembling an Angel's, only pitch black in color._

_The person with those wings looked like a woman with long, purple-colored hair; in her late teens, but with the aura of a young woman, and an incredibly large bust unlike anything he had ever seen on women like his own mother. Her gaze quickly met his own, making him a bit nervous as she kneeled to his eye level._

_"Hmm... quite a surprise, how have you not realized its existence yet?" The woman wondered, putting a finger to her chin._

_"H-huh?" He blinked, confused to what she meant._

_Giving him a warm smile, she stood back up, patting him on the head in an affectionate manner._

_"I guess I should let my husband know about this, so I'll leave you with this advice for now." She said, holding up her pointer finger._

_"What currently dwells within you? There will be a day your world will turn upside down, but don't be swallowed by despair, because... you can devour it with the hope hidden within you. Trust in it, a power that can defy even the gods themselves."_

_The boy looked at her confused, not understanding what she was telling him._

_"It's fine if you don't get it, as I have no right to interfere in your life as it is now. Hopefully, the day when our paths cross again, you'll realize how it will bathe yourself in a bright future." She smiled, waving goodbye as she finished._

_She jumped up, flapping her ten wings as she soared high into the sky, moving faster than Tobio expected._

_"Tobio? Tobio!" Someone called to him._

_"Huh?" Tobio blinked._

_As he turned behind him, he quickly looked back, seeing the Black Angel was no longer in sight. That moment made him wonder, was he seeing a dream... or a vision of the future?_

_"I'm here!" Tobio replied back, rushing over to the one calling him._

* * *

_In a lush garden land with a cloudless, clear blue sky; the purple-haired woman landed by a large building, walking inside as she crossed through a maze of halls. As she did, made her way to a specific room marked "Azazel & Penemue" on its door, and knocked on it._

_"Hey, honey! It's me." Penemue announced._

_"Come in!" He replied._

_Opening the door, she saw a man who appeared to be in his twenties with an average build, black hair with golden bangs, and a black goatee. He was currently wearing a black business suit that was opening to show a white button shirt under it, long black pants held by a golden buckle belt, and dress shoes._

_Also, in the room were two similar looking girls, both having long black hair with violet eyes. The main difference between them was one was clearly older, and was much more developed than most girls at the age of 8 would be, with a cruel look to her face. The younger sister on the other hand was only a 2-year old, and she currently had tears in her more vulnerable looking eyes, trying to grab a stuffed turtle that her sister took from her._

_"Raynare!" Penemue shouted._

_Hearing her mother's voice, the older sister, now known as Raynare, hid the turtle behind her back._

_"Give your sister the turtle... now!" She warned while tapping her foot, and her fingers across her arm._

_"But-" Raynare tried to retort._

_She never got the chance to finish as Raynare flicked her across the face, making her hold it as it began to sting._

_"No buts young lady, you do not get to pick on your baby sister!" Penemue warned._

_Raynare froze up at her mother's terrifying facial expression, and immediately put the turtle back in on her younger sister's lap, immediately ending her crying as she hugged it._

_"Sorry I left you to deal with that for a while, but are you sure we're not spoiling our older daughter?" She inquired._

_"No, if anything... I think we shouldn't have let Kokabiel babysit her." Azazel replied._

_Both of them shivered, questioning why either of them had ever consider that to be a good idea._

_"So, did you prove Shemhazai's suspicions?" Azazel asked._

_It took a moment, but he soon heard his wife give her answer on the results of her mission._

_"I've confirmed the current host of the Canis Lykaon." She verified._

* * *

**_~10 Years Later, May 7th - Ryoukuu Town_ **

In a fair town, the sight of a teenage boy with short black hair and pale grey eyes (which were currently closed) was seen lying in bed, the bright red flush of a fever on his face. He groaned a bit, and then felt a familiar tickle in his nose as he instantly grabbed a tissue.

*ACHOO*

He sneezed into it, blowing a bunch of icky mucus into it before he tossed it into the trash.

"I hate this..." Tobio groaned.

Getting sick? Usually not a fun experience, especially if it's beyond the normal flu. However, for Tobio Ikuse's case? Being sick at such a time was outright unfair to him, especially since he knew he hadn't gotten near anything, nothing was going around Ryoukuu Town to catch, he was definitely washing his hands, and eating right. By all means, the Second-Year Ryoukuu High student had met every condition to be healthy.

Unfortunately, he _was_ sick, and because of it happening at the worst possible time... he had to miss the once in a life time trip to Hawaii that the Second-Years of Ryoukuu High got to take on their Summer Breaks.

The vacation was a cruise period of ten days on a luxury liner calling itself the "Heavenly Aloha" that would be touring around the Hawaiian Islands, with the students getting to experience everything on the eight main islands. He fought in every way he could to be allowed to go, but his doctor had _insisted_ he stay home on to recover, and he'd get in trouble if he didn't listen.

*KNOCK*

Tobio looked at the door, seeing it open as someone walked in, carrying a tray of food and some medicine. It was a beautiful girl his age with shoulder length black hair in short twin-tails, eyes with a brilliant jade green color, and an attractive, lithe figure with noticeably large breasts. Her name was Sae Toujou, and she was both Tobio's childhood friend, and his girlfriend.

"Hey there, Tobio. Any signs that you might fight off that flu in time to be allowed on the trip?" Sae asked hopefully.

"No..." Tobio sighed.

The twin tailed girl let out a sigh, placing the tray down as she got his medicine ready for him.

"I'm sorry you won't be able to come, but I promise to at least bring back the souvenirs you wanted." She smiled, trying to make him feel better.

Tobio groaned, right as Sae gave him the spoonful of medicine he had to take.

"Sae, I know you're trying to comfort me, but... I don't think it's gonna work when I was excited about actually being there." Tobio replied, the flu clearly affecting his mood.

Hearing that, she turned her head in an attempt to think of something.

"I could... face time your phone at every possible moment?" She offered.

"Hmm... yeah, I guess that'll soften the blow a bit." He shrugged, taking what he could get.

After a few more minutes, Sae fed him the last of the good he brought, and replaced the wet cloth he had on his head. Settling himself back into bed, Sae pulled his sheets over and helped tuck him into the covers.

"I'll see be back soon, Tobio." Sae smiled.

As she leaned in to kiss him on the lips, he gave a loud clearing of his throat, making her blink in confusion.

"On my forehead, remember? I'm not letting you get sick the whole time you're there." He reminded her.

"Whoops... thanks for catching me there." Sae chuckled in embarrassment.

Readjusting her aim, she briefly lifted the wet cloth to kiss his forehead. Right as she prepared to leave the room, Tobio realized something, and turned to her.

"Hold on, before you go... I think there's a way you can bring some of me with you to Hawaii. Look in my right drawer." He stated.

Sae quickly walked over to it, and opened said drawer to see a string of red beads was inside.

The beads were quite mysterious, being clear in nature, but having a touch that clearly showed they were made from wood. Motioning her over with a finger, Tobio soon placed them around Sae's left wrist to make them into a bracelet.

"My grandma gave me those when I was young, calling them a good luck charm. Guess that means it'd double as making sure nothing goes wrong during the trip." Tobio smiled before coughing a little.

"Aww~, that's so sweet of you! I'll make sure to take good care of them." Sae promised, a happy blush on her face.

He waved at her one last time before she headed off, and tried to sleep off the rest of his cold.

* * *

An hour later, everyone among Ryoukuu High's Second-Year Students was on the luxury liner. It'd be a while before they got anywhere near Hawaii, but that didn't stop the students from having some fun, and in the case of one of her classmates, deciding to confess to the girl he liked.

Seeing said sight end with her accepting his feelings, Sae gave a light smile as she began taking her phone out.

"Guess I've already got something to tell Tobio." She remarked.

As she prepared to take a photo she could text to Tobio... everyone felt the ship give a sudden swerve, catching a few people by surprise as they nearly lost their balance.

"What was that?" Sae questioned, suddenly trembling as if she could feel something was wrong.

The apparent "swerve" soon happened in the opposite direction, causing many to start screaming as the boat suddenly hit what seemed like stormy waters... except the sky was completely clear of any dangerous weather!

Sae herself was thrown into the wall, hitting her head hard as a result. As she fought to keep her eyes opened... she briefly saw something that made her gasp in horror, right before the ship suddenly was tipped over like it was tossed.

"Tobio..." She breathed, blacking out seconds later.

A huge splash shot into the air as the boat completely tipped over, leaving the hundreds of passengers unconscious on the water. However, even that sight quickly vanished as a shadow swam underneath the water, making them disappear as it dragged them under.

Right as Sae, who been lucky enough to land on a life ring, was about to be the next victim... the beads Tobio gave her suddenly gave a red flash.

" _Leave her alone, taking her will only work against us._ "

Wherever the strange voice came from, the thing trying to grab everyone took Sae's beads as a bad omen, continuing its enigmatic actions as it took everyone else. Before long, the only one that wasn't taken had been Sae herself.

"Hold on, I see someone on the water! There's a survivor!"

After who knew how long between the cruise liner tipping, and the mysterious creature that took everyone else away, Sae opened her eyes as she heard a helicopter overhead, with a rescue raft being lowered to the ocean.

* * *

The following day, Tobio rose from bed, stretching his arms out. As he did, he didn't feel the stuffy nose, sore throat, or slight headache he had the day before. Realizing that, he gave a loud cheer, realizing his flu had gone away.

"Finally, it's gone!" He exclaimed.

Right at that moment, he suddenly got a call on his phone, making him grab it. The number he saw on it was one belonging to Ryoukuu Town's Hospital.

"Hello?" He answered.

『"Um... excuse me, but is this Tobio Ikuse on the phone?"』 The hospital receptionist asked.

"It is, why do you ask?" Tobio inquired.

『"Because we need you to get over here right now! Sorry that I'm ripping off a bandage here, but... Sae Toujou was just brought to us!"』 She screamed.

Tobio's eyes widened as he dropped his phone, and instantly got dressed so he could rush over to the hospital.

It didn't take long before he walked through the doors, panting as he looked towards the receptionist desk, getting the attention the same woman that just called him.

"Which room is she in!?" Tobio shouted.

"Room 305, go to your left and you'll see it in no time." The receptionist replied.

He nodded before rushing to her room.

When he finally made it, Tobio looked through the glass and noticed that nothing was wrong with her physically, but she was shivering everywhere with heating pads on every part of her body. Her soaked phone was at the side, and the bead bracelet still on her wrist like they had been before she left.

"Sae... what happened to you?" He asked, half of him relieved she was OK and half of him terrified at why she was even in this state.

At that moment, he heard footsteps and turned to see the doctor he and Sae had been familiar with their whole lives, and had been the one that asked Tobio to stay home and recover.

"Already here? Guess I shouldn't be surprised that you can move like lightning for the ones you love." The doctor chuckled.

"Tell me, what happened to Sae? Is she..." He asked.

"Good news is that she's fine, we're just making sure she doesn't suffer from hypothermia and monitoring her to ensure she doesn't get sick while her body's still recovering. I will say... right now she must have had the blessings of a God to survive what happened." The doctor reassured him.

Hearing that, Tobio realized he didn't even know what happened. Though if Sae was here and the receptionist didn't mention his classmates as a whole...

"Doctor... if Sae's here, then something happened on the school trip, didn't it? Where is everyone else?" He finally asked.

And with that, the Doctor scrunched his face a bit, hearing the question he was hoping that he wouldn't have to answer. Then again, it was a question he was sure that would have been asked with the evidence before the student before him.

"Well, it's hard to fully explain, but... the Heavenly Aloha suddenly tipped over out of nowhere." The Doctor revealed.

Tobio's eyes shrunk at that.

"Are you... saying... that Sae is the only..." He asked, his voice crackling.

"Not necessarily. When word finally reached anyone's ears, it had already been an hour, and by that point? Even a helicopter would have trouble finding anyone near the area if the undertow had pulled them somewhere. The only reason Sae ended up being near the ship was because a life ring she was resting on had stayed connected to the cruise liner. Right now, everyone else is being treated as MIA because they may have simply floated outside the ship's range." The Doctor clarified.

Hearing that, Tobio felt some relief... though that didn't help much since he knew that also meant their chances of surviving were already low. They were on the Pacific Ocean, which was the worst ocean anyone could get stranded on due to its massive size.

A sudden cough interrupted her thoughts as Sae suddenly sat up, covering her mouth as she wheezed a few more times, and finally opened her eyes.

"Sae!"

Rushing into the room, Sae turned to the side to see Tobio looking over her, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Tobio..." She asked.

"Yes, it's me Sae... I'm here." He replied, hugging her close.

Following him into the room, the Doctor got a paper and pen to write down on a clipboard.

"I know you just woke up, but the rescue squad wanted me to ask you about anything you recall before the cruise liner had its little accident." The Doctor stated.

Sae looked at him, rubbing her head.

"I don't even know if it was real, my head... I hit it before blacking out." Sae confessed, closing her eyes briefly.

"You didn't show any signs of a concussion, so at least tell us what you could make out. It's better than nothing if we want any clues to finding the other students and learning what may have happened that left only you to be found at the site." The Doctor replied.

Taking a moment, the Heavenly Aloha's only apparent survivor tried to recall what she saw.

* * *

_The Heavenly Aloha was slammed hard, causing a sudden swerve that tossed everyone around, which included the movement that led to Sae hitting her head. As she struggled to stay awake, she looked at what made her gasp in her barely conscious state._

_As everyone had seen, the sky was still clear and sunny, but before the ship? The sight of something black could be seen, though she had no idea if her vision was blurring so much she couldn't make out anything beyond its silhouette and the shadow it might be casting, but she could notice what looked to be long appendages, implying that they were tentacles of some sort._

_"Tobio..." She breathed, blacking out seconds later._

_Right at that moment, the "tentacles" slammed into the ship, denting into the ship as multiple holes were cut in._

* * *

Both men showed disbelief at what she described, because only two creatures fit that description, yet to attack an entire cruise liner?

"That sounds like an Octopus or a Squad, but a modern cruise liner is 20 times the sizes of a Colossal Squid! The only way what you say could be real is... no way, then is it real?" The doctor thought.

"Hmm?" Sae blinked.

Releasing a sigh, the doctor crossed his arms.

"One creature is theorized to be a large octopus or squid, and that's the Kraken, but no real proof's ever come. Most today believe it's a cryptid that people mistake Giant Squid attacks for. If a cephalopod truly did attack the Heavenly Aloha... well, think we can at least say that survival rates are high. Neither species normally attacks humans, and that means everyone likely just drifted away." The doctor explained.

Tobio shuddered at the thought that all of this happened because of squid that was somehow nearly 1000 ft in size.

"I'll send this info down the line, but for now? Sae looks healthy enough that we can discharge her now if you don't mind keeping an eye on her. After what happened, it's probably better she stays with a familiar face." The Doctor stated.

"I can do that, she was already taking care of me when I got sick, so it's the least I can do." Tobio agreed.

"Alright, then I'll go get a wheelchair for you. Best that Sae converses all the strength she can. Oh, and make sure to keep her warm as possible, she was in freezing water for a while." The doctor replied.

Walking away, any strength Tobio had of keeping a strong face broke away, and he sat on the bed as his emotions broke free. He felt himself shaking as tears left his eyes.

"All of our classmates, all of our friends... why did this have to happen to us?" He asked, like he was speaking to the gods.

Sae hugged him close, tearing up a bit herself.

* * *

Meanwhile, in a hidden location somewhere within Japan, the black silhouette that Sae had seen rose out of a body of water connected to some strange place.

A man stood before the creature, which had some of its Cephalopod nature revealed in the light... yet revealed signs of a reptilian in some place. Moving its tentacles to a certain spot of its body, the man watched as it opened that area up, dropping out every kidnapped Ryoukuu High student.

"Ignoring our near capture of a Himejima Clan member and paying the price for it, this task was a complete success." The man smirked, holding up a talisman.

Throwing it at the creature, it screeched before it suddenly shrunk into the size of a normal Colossal Squid, which blinked a few times before it was thrown back into the water, and swam back to wherever its original habitat was.

"Now then, let's see how the initial batch did." He chuckled darkly, popping the cork off a vial.

Looking at the students gathered before him, a strange medallion showing the image of five strange creatures could be seen, with the man waiting for something to happen...

Only, it never did, making his eyes widen before he gave a scowl.

"None of you have them? That's impossible! Our readings said they were all gathered there, so why aren't they here!?" The man screamed.

"It seems they knew we had our eyes on them..." A woman stated.

Turning around to see one of his allies, she held up a news report about the incident, making him raise an eye.

"And what about it?" The man inquired.

"This report says that six students were unable to attend the trip, so combined with the girl we left alone due to her link with the Himejima Clan... it seems they made sure their hosts would be unable attend the trip." The woman explained.

"Hold on, are you saying they realized we had been spying on them?" He gasped, struggling to believe it.

Biting the nail of his thumb, he realized something.

"While one of the students had to have missed it just by bad timing, with all five of them gathered, they must have had better ability to sense us by shared proximity. It seems we underestimated them." The man admitted.

"Luckily, I believe we can still use this to our advantage." The woman giggled darkly.

Holding out a finger, everyone was caught in a magic circle before a strange rotted sludge of sorts rose up, entering all the students from their pours.

In just mere seconds... their eyes opened up.

* * *

**_~Three Days Later_ **

Standing by their school's entrance, Tobio and Sae were giving a prayer to a small memorial ground left for all of their Second-Year classmates, all of which who were still missing ever since the incident with the Heavenly Aloha's mysterious accident.

Despite they had yet to be labeled officially dead, when an entire day without signs of anyone else had passed... the school felt if this incident did claim any of their lives, then something should honor everyone who was lost, and everyone that came back. As such, all four grades of Ryoukuu High (due to the school using four grades in their system) were called to build the memorial before them.

"For your safe return, or to be at peace." They both said softly.

After they finished praying, both of them stood back up, with Sae briefly glancing at the flowers that had been left by it. There had been five other Second-Years who had been like Tobio, and that meant just like her and Tobio, some of their friends might never return.

"Hey, Sae?" Tobio asked, looking at her.

"Yeah?" She replied.

"Tell me... are you still able to believe the others may have made it out?" He asked.

She didn't answer, just releasing a sigh.

'I don't blame her, I'm just as afraid to give an honest answer as she must be. Every day just gives me another reminder that the reality is our friends are gone... and they're never coming back.' Tobio thought, glancing at the ground.

With their respects having been paid, both of them headed to the subway station, taking a train back to their neighborhood.

"So, does your mother know about the incident yet, or no?" Tobio asked.

"I haven't been able to talk to them yet, but I'm pretty sure it's reached her by now... and that she'll likely smother me in worry when she gets home." Sae sighed.

Tobio gave an awkward chuckle at that.

"Yeah, after living under your roof for so long, I can tell that reaction is a near definite." He agreed.

Following that, an awkward silence formed in the air.

"Uh... I think we need to get our minds off this, maybe we should go on a date." Sae suggested, scratching her cheek a bit.

"Hopefully we _can_ be distracted to get our minds off this." Tobio agreed.

* * *

Deep within the lands of Europe, the sight of a large pond came into view, one that currently had two people within its vicinity. One of which was actually walking _on_ the lake water, and the other watching her do so.

The first of the two was a 12-year old girl with long, silvery-white hair, with her eyes hidden behind a blindfold she was currently wearing. She had quite the gifted figure for her age, which was currently wearing a black t-shirt with a white vest of the same material, which had a blue hoodie attacked to it; a pair of cargo shorts; and white shoes with red soles, red accents, and red laces.

"Whoa..." The girl shivered, almost losing her balance.

Continuing to watch her was she was a young woman with blonde hair, blue eyes, and wearing a white witch-like outfit with an ice theme. After another few seconds, she saw the girl on the water finally reach the end.

 **("Good job, Vali.")** Albion praised.

The girl now known as Vali smiled a bit as she pulled off her blindfold, revealing the soft blue eyes that had been hiding behind them.

"I really did it... I made across it on the first try!" She exclaimed.

"Vali, you did it!"

Before the silvery-white haired girl could even form a proper reaction, she began blushing as the blonde magician hugged her into her incredibly gifted bosom.

"L-Lavinia... please... stop! I... I can't breathe!" Vali choked.

Realizing this, the woman now known as Lavinia blushed in embarrassment before she finally let go.

"Sorry!" She giggled, sticking her tongue out.

 **('I'm starting to wonder if all the things Lavinia does are really just accidents, or if she's secretly doing them on purpose...')** Albion thought worriedly.

Once Vali managed to regain enough air, Lavinia pet her head.

"I have to admit, I'm impressed at how well you're picking this up. No one I've ever trained had advanced this fast." Lavinia praised.

"Well, I made a promise to someone... and I won't let him down." Vali admitted, scratching her cheek.

Hearing that, the blonde magician gasped, making Vali sweat a bit.

"You said he, that means this promise is totally on a boy you have feelings for!" Lavinia exclaimed.

Vali blushed at that, and then screamed.

"No, it isn't like that, I swear! He's just my best friend and I don't want him to get hurt because he's always protecting me!" Vali shouted, flailing her arms.

"Alright, alright. Just calm down." Lavinia replied, holding her hands out defensively.

Right as she said that, a magic circle appeared by Lavinia and got her attention, with Vali looking a bit confused. The blond Magicians moved it near her ear, and listened to whoever was on the other side.

"Alright, meet me there. I'll let Vali know what's going on." She replied, dispelling the magic circle.

"Did something happen?" Vali asked.

"Sorry to do this to you, but I'll have to put your magic training on hold under further notice. Just stay with Baraqiel for now, and if I'm lucky, we can resume our training in maybe a week or two." Lavinia explained.

Vali widened her eyes at that, and grabbed the blonde magician's arm as she made a magic circle.

"No, I'm going with you." She declared.

Hearing that, the icy wizard's eyes went white in shock, and she immediately began shaking her head in denial to show her opposition to it.

"Absolutely not! This isn't some simple scuffle, there could be a real chance people could die including ourselves!" Lavinia refused.

"That's exactly why I have to go... I need to do this." Vali replied.

Upon hearing those words, Lavinia looked at the silvery-white haired girl's eyes, seeing them shine with a begging look to them. It was when she saw those eyes that she knew why Vali's determination to follow her was so adamant.

In fact, the more she looked at Albion's wielder, the more it was clear she needed this... for the sake of overcoming her past.

"Of course, that's the whole reason you're even training under me... alright, but know that I can't guarantee your safety. Knowing that, will you still follow me?" Lavinia relented, making sure one last time.

Vali smiled, nodding her head.

"I've got a certain someone that can watch my back if you can't, so don't worry." Vali reassured her.

"Alright then, guess that settles it." Lavinia decided.

Both of them walked into the blonde wizard's magic circle, and in doing so, guaranteed their involvement in something big that was on the horizon.

* * *

As Tobio and Sae got off the train, the former looked at his GPS to see if he could find anywhere they could do to have a date at such short notice. As he did, Sae suddenly saw something and gasped, immediately tugging on Tobio's arm.

"Something wrong, Sae?" He asked, looking at her.

"Tobio, look... right over there..." Her voice stuttered with such intensity, almost like she saw a ghost.

Unsure of what was leaving her so pale, he looked in the same direction... causing his eyes to dilate at what he saw on the opposite side of the crosswalk. It was a male and female student wearing Ryoukuu High uniform, but what made seeing this pair so shocking?

"Sasaki? Morose!?" Tobio exclaimed in disbelief.

Neither of them could believe it. Two of their missing classmates were right in front of them, but... there hadn't been any news of any survivors being found. While initially shocked and happy, the fade of their adrenaline finally made them question the sight before them.

"Sae... is it just me, or are you getting a bad feeling about this?" Tobio questioned, feeling a few beads of sweat form on his face.

"The latter, and I don't like it." Sae agreed, barely keeping her cool.

Right after she replied, the two briefly glanced at the duo without them noticing, and then rushed towards a nearby construction sight. Looking at their fleeing forms, Tobio made a decision for both of them.

"We need to follow them, something in my gut's telling me to." Tobio stated.

"Eh!?" Sae exclaimed.

Before she could make any comment against his suggestion, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards the location. As they peaked their heads in to see, nothing was going on aside from the two staring towards a dog, getting closer to it as it released a threatening bark towards them.

"All that seems odd to me is they aren't talking." Sae remarked.

"Maybe it isn't them I'm worried about, just keep an eye out for now until we see anything-" Tobio replied.

*SCREECH*

The horrible sound immediately made the duo cover their ears in pain, right as the dog suddenly stopped barking at what it saw, and then...

*CRASH*

*WHIMPER*

Tobio's eyes widened to see the canine that had been threatening their classmates with simple intimidation not on the ground, laying on its side with a limp leg that had had was now bleeding slightly from a cut... right near a smoking whip mark on the ground.

"How did that..." Tobio questioned, feeling his blood go cold in fear.

" **Survivor...** " Sasaki breathed.

Before he could even finish his thoughts, Sasaki and Morose turned to the duo, right as Sae finally opened her eyes again. However, she quickly found herself wishing that she hadn't because of what else she saw.

A giant lizard with a large mouth that had a long tongue with a spiked end similar to a mace, and a large floating jellyfish with a top full of bubbly blisters.

"Oh my god..." Sae whimpered, her voice shaking from the pure terror.

Tobio looked at their fellow classmates, finally seeing the lifeless look in their eyes as they pointed at him, making it clear something had happened to them. At that moment, their mouths opened to say one terrifying word.

" **Feed.** " Morose quietly ordered.

The pair of monsters lunged at them, forcing Tobio to grab Sae's hand and run away!

"What's going on!?" Sae screamed.

"I don't know, so just keep run!" Tobio answered in a panic.

The jellyfish creature landed before them, holding out two of its stingers like a pair of garden hoses. Sae immediately pulled Tobio sideways as acid shot at the spot they had been seconds prior.

Looking around, he grabbed a broken pole and then tossed it towards the jellyfish monster.

*WHOOSH*

The pole was immediately grappled by the lizard monster's sticky tongue before it could make contact, and then quickly swallowed just as fast.

Realizing they were cornered, the two hugged each other as they were backed into a corner?

"Hey Sae? I just want you to know that if we die tonight... you can totally say I'm entirely to blame for it!" Tobio shouted.

"I don't wanna die!" Sae cried, hugging him tighter.

The monsters instantly lunged at them, and just when it seemed like the two had no hope left...

*SLASH*

*SLICE*

The lizard suddenly screeched as it was tossed back, its sharp tongue having been ripped off out of nowhere, while the jellyfish's blisters popped with a deflating sound as its amputated stingers flopped across the ground.

"What the hell!?" Tobio exclaimed.

"We were... saved?" Sae realized.

Sasaki and Morose began looking around, trying to find the source of whoever and/or whatever attacked their monsters, right as they landed nearby.

"You want a fight? Then do it against someone that can actually fight back!" A female voice shouted.

All three parties turned to see a girl with a standing on a steel beam. She had brown hair tied in a small ponytail, and her eyes were a pink-red color, wearing a red T-Shirt with an orange jacket wrapped around it and baggy purple-colored shorts.

'Hold on, have me and Sae seen that girl before?' Tobio wondered, feeling a sense of familiarity upon seeing her.

" **Attack!** " Both possessed students ordered.

Both monsters charged at the girl that had intruded on their hunts, but before either of them could get near her, something rushed by them at high speeds. The jellyfish monster suddenly swelled before it shattered like exploding glass art.

The lizard monster's body shook before a glowing slashed was cut around its head, falling off before it shattered like glass hitting the floor, leaving its body (which had some black mist leaking out of where its head used to be) to fall forward and break apart in the same manner.

"D-did she just... kill that monster without even touching it?" Tobio asked.

"No, look there!" Sae pointed out.

The girl smiled as she held out her arm, which is when Tobio noticed the sight of an abnormal looking hawk landing on it.

'Just a small bird did it? No way!' He gasped.

His thoughts were interrupted as Sasaki and Morose screamed in pain before they fell to the ground, immediately blacking out as some magic square appeared on their backs. They only glowed for a moment before cracking, and then dissolving without a trace.

"That's my brave little Konton, good job as always." She smiled, praising the strange hawk by stroking its head.

 **«"Of course, now... can we finally get some grub?"»** Konton replied.

Hearing the bird talk, the duo's eyes went white with shock, making the girl chuckle while the bird known as Konton released a weird squawk that resembled a cross between someone gagging and choking.

It just was as unpleasant to hear as its description implied.

"You two are Tobio Ikuse and Sae Toujou, right?" The girl asked.

With the sound of their names reaching their ears, the two regained their focus and turned their attention to her.

"Y-yeah, that's us." Sae confirmed.

"Hold on, do you know us?" Tobio questioned, scratching his ear as he looked at her.

"We've never met, however..." She answered.

Taking out something from her left pocket, she threw it towards Tobio who immediately caught it, making him and Sae it was a picture of the girl with a few of her friends... who were all wearing the Ryoukuu High uniform!

"No way, you're a..." Tobio gasped.

"My name is Natsume Minagawa, and I'm one of the students who couldn't attend the school trip." Natsume greeted.

She looked at the down duo before them, and cleared her throat.

"I'll explain things in a bit, though for right now? We should probably get these two some help." She suggested.

"Yeah, that might be a good idea." Sae agreed.

"Oh boy... I've got Sasaki, one of you grab Morose." Tobio sighed.

And with that, the trio headed to the hospital.

* * *

Standing at the entrance to Ryoukuu Hospital, the duo's usual doctor was with the two as their classmates were placed on medical beds.

"I can't believe it... and you found them in a construction site?" The doctor remarked.

"Yeah, they looked like they were in a trance. It wouldn't surprise me if someone drugged them." Tobio confirmed.

Scratching his head, the doctor looked at the two.

"This just gives us even more questions than before..." He stated.

"Well, one thing me and Sae talked about on the way here is that what she saw as some giant squid may have been a black ship. If her vision was that hazy from hitting her head, then she'd have trouble seeing anything but the color, and maybe the tentacles were some kind of rising turrets they fired on the ship." Tobio replied, hoping his lie was convincing.

"A rogue ship... then the holes were fire to give an opening for them to ram it. Should that be true, then all of the students may have been kidnapped. Though that does leave the question of why they didn't take Sae." The doctor thought aloud.

Rubbing his head, he looked at the duo one last time.

"I'll tell the police department about this, let them know if you find any of your classmates." He stated.

"Understood, just make sure our friends are OK." Sae asked.

The Doctor nodded his head in response, and soon wheeled the unconscious Sasaki and Morose to a room so their health could be monitored. Once it was over, they walked outside to see Natsume waiting for them.

"So, ready to share what you know?" Sae asked.

"Not just yet, we need to go somewhere first." Natsume replied, motioning them to follow her.

They did just that.

* * *

Penemue stood in a certain location, organizing the notes that Azazel had sent over to her as she began to pace back and forth, trying and failing to quell the worry she was feeling. This wasn't the first time she got a job because of a certain location, but... this particular one?

"Seriously, just what is this? What kind of mess was started in the Human world of all places?" She wondered fearfully, running a hand through her hair.

At that moment, Lavinia's magic circle appeared, getting the Fallen Angel cadre's attention as she walked through... and then making her eyes widen as she noticed Vali by her side, making her panic a bit.

"What the... Lavinia, why did you bring Vali with you!?" Penemue exclaimed, sweating a bit.

"Because I saw the look in her eyes... she needs to prove what she's been out here training for. As such, I think we can put some faith in her, don't you agree?" Lavinia explained.

Hearing this, the female cadre sighed before giving a light smile.

"You are one crazy Devil, but... I guess having two Longinus wielders is better than one. She can help us." Penemue replied.

Vali's face lit up as she heard those words, soon giving the Fallen Angel a hug.

"Thank you Auntie Penemue!" She exclaimed, giving a warm smile as a result.

Penemue scratched her cheek at that.

"With that out of the way, can you explain the full situation? I know you told me that she might be involved, but..." Lavinia asked.

"Well... I'll have to give you the short version until I get back from something I need to do, but for what's going on?" Penemue replied.

Both of them listened as she explained everything.

* * *

The trio had gathered at a family restaurant, sitting in an outside table where Konton pecked the table out of boredom. This ended upon the waiter's arrival.

"Are you ready to order?" He greeted.

"I'll have one rich vanilla cream with syrup and something from the drink bar." Natsume ordered.

"Just a water for the two of us." Tobio ordered, with Sae nodding.

He wrote everything down and then headed back inside to get their food and drinks. Once he was finally gone, Natsume looked at the duo, motioning them to move their ears near her.

"I can't tell you everything, but I'll explain what I can." Natsume whispered.

"Alright, then I guess what we'll ask is... what was all of that? What's the story behind this?" Tobio asked.

Natsume scratched her head, wondering how to answer.

"Good question, and truth be told? I don't know the full story myself... though I've at least figured out the most important thing about this whole mess." She admitted.

The duo saw her eyes motion to Konton, who was currently preening her wings.

"You mean Konton's linked to all of this?" Sae asked.

"Even I'm still a bit in disbelief since it only started yesterday, but... from what she told me? We've been together since I was born due to some object called a Sacred Gear, which was apparently made by Elohim, otherwise known as the Biblical God." Natsume confirmed, explaining more.

The two went silent at that.

"Say what?" Tobio questioned in disbelief.

"Well, not sure how to really say this, but... it seems a lot of things we considered as merely supernatural? They're real. Konton here is just one being from our apparent myths that we have no idea exists around us every day." She revealed.

Both of their eyes widened at that, with Sae looking at the beads she wore as a bracelet once more.

 **«"That's right, while there are a few things that are truly myths, and certain details that are incorrect like the Archangel Gabriel being a man? Beings you only knew as supernatural are real."»** Konton replied.

"So, that means... I really did see some kind of sea monster attacking us?" Sae realized.

"That's right, and I bet that like I have Konton here, most of our classmates have something else that they want. The two we faced didn't seem to have Sacred Gears, and used that to go after those who didn't come on the trip, probably wanting to complete their little _collection_." Natsumi confirmed.

A sudden chill rushed through Tobio's nerves after he heard that.

"Basically, what you're saying is I and the other four survivors among us Second-Years might may have one of these... Sacred Gears, just like you do?" He asked.

"That's the theory. As for why they ignored Sae, well... that I'm not sure about that." Natsume replied.

Konton stopped preening for a moment, and once she did, a loud screech came out of as she noticed the beads on Sae's arm, making the trio look at the strange hawk's newly formed expression of panic.

"What's wrong?" Natsume asked.

 **«"Those beads... yes, I may not be able to remember a majority of my memories, but I can tell what those are! Spiritual beads that can only be forged by an incredibly powerful priest or priestess with ties to a Youkai that's at least of a High-Class ranking!"»** Konton exclaimed.

All of them blinked, though withheld answering as the waiter brought their order, prompting Natsume to start munching her ice cream as she motioned Tobio to interrogate her partner further.

"Wait, you mean one of those people that live in Shinto shrines?" Tobio asked.

 **«"Yes, and that gives us a definite answer about one thing, whoever took all the Ryoukuu High students has to be a citizen of Japan. The only way Sae would be ignored is if they believed she was part of a big shrine family, as kidnapping her gives an entire group of the few supernatural Humans eyes they likely need to avoid."»** Konton explained.

"So, the fact I was wearing these is why they didn't capture me?" Sae inquired.

Konton nodded, with her and the entire group unaware of another Ryoukuu High student standing on the roof, listening in on their conversation.

"Why would they be afraid of Sae having any relation to some shrine family?" Natsume asked.

 **«"I'm sorry, but... I don't know. Like I said before, my memories are all fuzzy, so I have no idea what makes these beads important aside from how they were created."»** Konton apologized, lowering her head.

Sae pet her head, making the strange-looking hawk chirp happily.

"Well, I think it's time we all head home for the night. Konton and I found another magic signature that might represent an ally, but those monsters will likely have a better advantage in hunting us during the night, so we should wait until tomorrow." Natsume suggested.

"Hold on, how should we find you?" Sae asked.

"I'll come over to your place. Konton will be able to track you, so I don't have to worry about knowing where you live." She reassured them.

Konton flew onto Natsume's arm before they headed home, leaving Tobio to look at his girlfriend.

"Do you get the feeling that all of today's weirdness is only minor compared to what we might expect?" He nervously asked.

"Yep." She nodded, a bead of sweat trickling down her cheek.

And they were right, neither of them knew just would start as of tomorrow... and the days that would follow.

* * *

In an unknown location, the sight of two dot among hundreds went out, causing a hidden person to frown at the revelation. However, the process also sent data showing Natsume and Konton's picture on it, which immediately changed into a smirk.

"Our first target's been confirmed." He stated.

"Sir." A male voice interrupted.

The figure in the shadow turned to the side, looking at an associate that walked up to him.

"One of the Utsusemi managed to spy on three of the survivors, and we have some news you might like to hear. It seems the girl we left alone isn't actually a Himejima, she just happened to be wearing the beads without knowing what they were." The associate revealed.

Hearing this, the shadowed figure showed intrigue.

"If memory serves me right, she currently lives with her mother and boyfriend, doesn't she?" He inquired.

"Yes, and I've done some reading. Tobio Ikuse's grandmother was a member of the Himejima Clan, but she passed away a few years ago, which means they lack the means to get the Himejima Clan's attention." The associate confirmed.

"Then that means either of them could be the ones we're looking for... I think we should take advantage of this." The boss smirked.

Looking back at the screen, the remaining five survivors appeared on screen as the shadowed boss began laughing.

"Soon, all our goals will come to fruition." He stated.

* * *

**Things are starting to shake up, and it looks like our main duo will be in for a rude awakening. I always wondered how SLASHDOG's events would change if Sae didn't get kidnapped, and this story is finally making that idea a reality. Because of her absence in the antagonists' army of student puppets, I have different plans for the Cowardly Leo she wielded.**

**Now, for a few important things to bring up? There's a reason why the beast of Natsume's Sacred Gear is named Konton instead of Griffon, and while some of you might be able to figure out why, there's a deeper reason beyond that keeping me from saying anymore due to a big spoiler tied to it. At the very least, I can say this relates to why I've given it a huge buff.**

**For any new readers, what you saw under the text key is known as the Concept Talk. It's basically me sharing lore about the story which may foreshadow something later, often explaining something I can't directly talk about in-story. In this instance, I decided to talk about this story's version of the Canis Lykaon is different from canon.**

**If anyone's curious about why it's part scythe? This is because of a stage in the Canis Lykaon's Balance Breaker, the fact we already have multiple Sacred Gears that are tied to swords, and how Bennia's the only regular scythe wielder due to how rare the other Grim Reapers are. That, and it helps make it more unique among Sacred Gears, like most Longinus are.**

**Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^**

**A/N: The Natsume of this story uses her appearance from the web novel, rather than her redesign in the new light novels.**

* * *

**Bust Size of New Female Characters** **:**

**Sae Toujou - 97 cm**

**Valiana "Vali" Lucifer - 90 cm**

**Lavinia Reni - 100 cm**

**Natsume Minagawa - 92 cm**

* * *

**Brief Summaries of Abilities/Equipment/Terms in Today's Chapter** **:**

**None**

* * *

**Pairings List** **:**

**Tobio/Sae - Dating  
Azazel/Penemue - Married**


	2. Chapter 2

**Welcome back everyone! First thing before officially starting today's start notes, I'd to say that I'm glad how well the first chapter went, mainly because the events of SLASHDOG aren't (currently) as long as DxD, so they're not as familiar to me. I'm not too worried though, because since this story adapts to the "Heavenly Dragons" universe, I just need to build bridges between the two stories.**

**Now that we're in the second chapter, I can finally use the terms I withheld saying for anyone who hadn't read SLASHDOG's web novel or light novel form. As such, if anyone of you had read either version of the story and were wondering why I seemed to be avoiding their use except for the one time I mentioned the Utsusemi by name, that was why.**

**Speaking of which, a few of you might be wondering why I've made the Utsusemi seemingly weaker by having them only able to handle a single defeat before they're destroyed. To answer that the best I can without giving anything away... I haven't, and you'll see why soon enough. *giggles* Anyways, a partial reason behind why the students are getting freed so easily is because the "Heavenly Dragons" series has an idealistic theme to it.**

**Now that all of that's been said, time to start this chapter!**

* * *

**()** \- Albion Talking

 **«»** \- Consciousness of any other Sacred Gear Talking

〖〗 - Voice Speaking through a Magic Circle

 **「」** \- Insert Song Beginning, or Ending

 **【】** \- Voice made by an Announcement, or through an Announcer

 **⟨⟩** \- Custom Spell's Aria Chant

『』 - Electrical Voice or Machine Speaking

* * *

** Ryoukuu High **

**A public high named after its location of Ryoukuu Town that's known for being one of the rare few schools in Japan to have Fourth-Year students in its division, not unlike those in America, rather than stopping at the Third-Year like usual. Another thing they're well known for is their annual Second-Year field trip to Hawaii on the "Heavenly Aloha" cruise liner during their Summer Break.**

**However, during the most recent attempt to visit, a horrible tragedy occurred as a giant Cephalopod attacked the ship, completely tipping the ship over and capturing all of the students, leaving only Sae Toujou alone as a precaution at the time. Due to the supernatural involvement, authorities are struggling to find a scientific explanation to what actually happened.**

**The reason behind the ship's sudden attack was to apparently to find the students who possessed Sacred Gears, needing a specific few. Unfortunately, the masterminds behind the attack failed to get any of the students who possessed them, as they all made sure their wielders would not be able to attend the trip. As a result, the students have now been made puppets that use strange monsters to hunt down the survivors.**

**What they're specifically after is still unknown, other than Natsume possess one of the Sacred Gears they're currently looking for, with Tobio and Sae (who they've since confirmed can be captured without consequence) also possible candidates. The status of the other four students, and if they've even awakened their Sacred Gears like Natsume has, is still unknown.**

**Unknown to the residents, Ryoukuu Town is part of the Fallen Angels' territory, specifically within the zone that's under Penemue's watch.**

* * *

**_ Chapter 2, Rise of the Utsusemi Arc: The World They Never Knew _ **

Tobio was seen sitting on a chair as Sae's head rested on his side, having been exhausted by everything she went through today.

It still terrified them what those monsters would have done to them if she hadn't shown up, because what she told them implied they'd have been kidnapped for what would likely be a... very horrifying reason. Though admittedly, the revelation of the Supernatural World's existence was the real surprise.

"It all seems like a dream, but... I think deep down, I've known the truth all along." He said to himself.

Right at that moment, Sae's eyes squinted a bit she opened them, making him look at her.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" Tobio asked.

"No, just can't sleep. I keep thinking about everything Natsume told us." Sae replied, rubbing her eyes.

Looking at her boyfriend in the eyes, she noticed he was deep in thought.

"Tobio, is something bothering you?" She asked.

"Kind of... I never mentioned this to you, mainly because I wasn't sure if it was real, but around 10 years ago? I met this someone that looked like a purple haired teenage girl, but she had purple hair and the aura of a young woman. However, what really surprised me was I saw her fly away into the sky, with ten black wings on her back." He revealed.

Hearing that, Sae gasped a bit.

"They were that of an Angel's, but they were black, so... maybe it was a Fallen Angel that I saw? Either way, she talked like there was something special inside me, and after what Natsume told us, I have a theory on what she was talking about." Tobio continued, touching his heart.

"You think it's one of those Sacred Gear things?" She asked.

"Has to be, I don't know what else could qualify under something like that. Especially after what Konton mentioned about my grandma's beads." Tobio answered.

Sae felt him holding her hand tighter as he sighed, a somber look on his face.

"I wonder if my grandma knew, and these beads of hers are related to it? Had I not given them to you, then the thought of you being like Sasaki and Morose, and having to fight you is... I don't know if I could-" He continue.

He found himself shutting up as Sae kissed him, making him blush from the unexpected gesture.

"Don't worry, we'll figure this out somehow. I know it." Sae smiled.

Tobio smiled at that, taking her hand.

"Yeah, and I'll make sure to protect you no matter what comes a way... that's a promise." He replied.

Both of them soon went back to sleep, having eased each other's worries.

While neither of them knew what tomorrow would bring them, for right now? What mattered was they would stay together through it all like they've always done.

* * *

***Attack on Titan - Shinzou wo Sasageyo plays***

**(*high pitched piano playing*)** The sight of a cruise ship was seen lying across the ocean, untouched by the elements surrounding.

 **(*heavy guitar slamming*)** The title for **"Legend of the Heavenly Dragons"** tried to form... only for to suddenly be struck by black claws, shredding the last two words, and replacing them with new ones made by their scratch marks to create the title of **"Legend of the Slash Dogs"** in its place.

 **(The greatest challenge is finally nearing us, and now that it is there's only one question...)** Those black creatures Faction slowly near Ryoukuu Town, making the many people living there afraid, unaware of the students that were following said creatures.  
**(I won't falter in the road ahead, so will you still follow me!?)** At the same time, Tobio was seen putting on an outfit that looked like a mix between a school uniform, and a secret agent suit.

 **(Be it Angels, Fallen, Devils, Demons, Youkai, Magicians, or even Humans...)** The leader of the group behind the monsters was hidden in the shadows, giving a dark smirk as he watched everything happen on his personal live-feed screen. The sight of a certain symbol stitched on the upper left portion of his suit.  
**(This final blockade standing in my way will surely fall, and then I'll finally achieve my dream!)** Sae began putting on the same outfit as Tobio, with the sight of a black dog watching her do so, followed by a white cat of a similar size.

 **(The exiled followers wielding the flames of revenge to justify their madness!)** The sight of a screen showing Suzaku Himejima's worried expression could be seen, but it was quickly replaced with her showing a look of determination.  
**(Good friends facing me under their possession, but I now have strength to save them!)** Following came a screen of Tobio's grandmother, who showed a somber look on her face, which was then swapped with an image of her forced smile right before her final moments.  
**(What else is waiting in the path ahead?)** Following that was a third screen, where the same hidden mastermind in a suit was seen, still as hidden as ever, but hinting the connection between the two woman that came before him.  
**(I'll find out my own way!)** With one final shift, the three screens shatter as Vali jumps through it, landing with a determined look ebbing throughout her body. The Slash/Dog Team soon behind her.

 **(Take a deep breath and more forward, there's no turning back anymore...)** All of the Utsusemi Agency begins attacking Ryoukuu Town's citizens.

 **(Let's cut through the shadows, and tear through evil like a cunning wolf!)** The members of the Slash/Dog Team all line up together, raising their heads to show their resolve.  
**(Come on everyone, let's make victory ours!)** As a building broke apart, that was their cue to move forward, and stop the enemy rushing towards them.

 **(We're fighting for the Future!)** The Four Fiends watch the stars. **  
(Our dreams are shining brighter than the stars!)** The sight of seven stars glow in the sky, glimmering brightly against the darkness trying to shroud them.  
**(We'll walk the shadow, we'll walk the light!)** Lines connect the stars to form the symbol of the Canis Major's constellation, causing the Slash/Dog Team to fly out from them, smashing through the shroud that had blocked them off. **  
(Don't give up my friends, and rush straight ahead!)** They land on a giant battleground, where a large mass of the Utsusemi forces were gathered to be the last stand against their efforts of stopping the Utsusemi Agency.

 **(We're fighting for the Future!)** All the armies begin to charge, with Tobio making the leading call that made his team charge at the Utsusemi Forces. **  
(Our dreams are shining brighter than the stars!)** Vali flew through their numbers, blasting her magic and Ethereal Twilight before equipping her Balance Breaker. This left Lavinia open to summon her Absolute Demise, which froze the entire area the monsters were standing on.  
**(We'll walk the shadow, we'll walk the light...)** Now with most of the area clear, the sight of Tobio and Sae leading the charge was seen, with the Four Fiends' wielders all summoning them to take charge against the forces blocking their path. Eventually, the sight of the mastermind came into view.  
**(And make it through the obstacles ahead!)** Both of them rushed forward, showing Tobio in an armor resembling a Wolf, and Sae in an outfit that resembled a played dress with a Lynx theme to it.

 **(*heavy guitar and drum playing*)** The image of all the captured students passed by, with the silhouette of what creature their bonded Utsusemi were hovering over each one. Eventually, they were replaced by the Utsusemi themselves, showing some monstrous versions of the animals they were based off of.

 **(*same heavy guitar and drums play, but now even louder before coming to a sharp stop*)** Everything on the screen suddenly shattered as it becomes a ghostly gray-white, showing the Utsusemi charging across a field, with something slowly rising from the earth.

The Slash/Dog Team stood their ground, and rushed ahead, making the screen freeze like it was a camera image.

* * *

_A large dog barked, making a Junior High aged Tobio yelp as he fell over. Watching the scene, Sae started to giggle a bit, surprised that she actually saw what she just witnessed. Upon realizing Sae was laughing at him, Tobio puffed his cheeks._

_"Sae, that's not funny!" Tobio pouted._

_"I can't help it! Dogs just seem to love you, don't they?" Sae giggled, her eyes closed for a moment._

_Shaking his head, Tobio turned his head towards her._

_"Yeah, just like all Cats seem to view you as a fluffy bed or pillow." Tobio countered._

_Sae blushed at that, and tried to retort... she failed._

_The dog in question was a Golden Retriever that was entrusted to Sae's family from her relatives, as they were currently on a trip. Though like she often was, Sae's mother was currently out of town on work (having to work hard due to her father passing away when she was just a baby), so she had asked Tobio to come over and help her out, due to his apparent "bond" with Dogs._

_Unfortunately, Tobio quickly learned this Dog was particularly hyper, and ended up being on the receiving end of his almost endless amount of energy. Eventually, he took a moment to catch his breath, and the Dog ran over, catching him by surprise with a bark. That was how he ended up in his current position, with the dog now licking him everywhere as he finally stood up again._

_"H-hey, stop licking me! Please, help me Sae!" Tobio complained._

_"Come on Kinjirou, let's give Tobio some air." Sae giggled._

_At that moment, the dog named Kinjirou finally stopped, while Tobio groaned at the slobbery mess he now was. Sae went to fetch him a towel, which he quickly used to try and dry himself off._

**「** **Kung Fu Panda 2: Po's Mother Says Goodbye** **」**

_Unfortunately, things would suddenly take a darker turn from there, as the two heard heavy coughing from Tobio's house. Knowing how his grandma hadn't been feeling well lately, he assumed that she was having a coughing fit._

_"I'll be right back." Tobio promised._

_Sae watched him leave, and quickly went to clip Kinjirou's leash a spot in the ground so he wouldn't wander off._

_"Wait up, I'm coming too!" Sae shouted._

_Quickly following him, she went towards his house, but she never made it inside as Tobio suddenly opened the door in a panic. Having not expected to see her so close, he nearly tripped over the front steps, but then steadied himself before looking at her._

_"Hurry, call 911 right now!" Tobio screamed in a panic._

_"What? Why!?" Sae asked, sweating a bit._

_"I don't know, but she's not breathing, and I don't hear a pulse from her!" He screamed._

_Hearing those words, Sae instantly realized what was going on... his grandmother was having a heart attack! That was enough for her to immediately grab her phone faster than should be physically possible._

* * *

_Sitting outside a room in the hospital, Tobio was sobbing as the light above the door was off... without the sound of a single hospital monitor watching her pulse being heard. It wasn't hard to realize what had just happened just by looking at the scene._

_It was at that moment when Sae found him, having been forced to get one of their neighbors to watch Kinjirou before she could come and join Tobio at the hospital._

_"Tobio, sorry I'm so late! How is..."_

_She quickly trailed off as she saw what he was doing, with him only briefly moving his hands to face her, showing the tears he was crying._

_Looking into the window room, she gasped as her eyes widened at the sight of Tobio's grandmother being covered by a blanket, instantly telling her the worst had happened. That Tobio's grandmother, Ageha Ikuse... had passed away._

_"No..." Sae breathed, covering her mouth as the tears began to flow through._

_"She's gone... when I learned about my parents, I didn't know them enough to shed any years. But, this time, I... I..." Tobio sobbed._

_His voice lost itself as it just cracked from the sadness, with Sae looking at him as she finally shed her tears._

_"I'm... all alone now, I have no one..." He cried._

**「** **Kung Fu Panda 2: I am Po** **」**

_The moment she heard those words, something in Sae broke and she instantly hugged him close. The act surprised him, and she looked at him as her cries started to vocalize themselves like his already had._

_Before he could say anything... she kissed him, making his eyes widen as she pulled back, looking deep into his eyes as she kept crying._

_"Sae?" He blinked, full of confusion._

_"You have me... you still have me, Tobio!" She shouted, her tears running down her face even faster._

_He froze up at the sight._

_"Please, don't lose yourself to your sadness! Don't go somewhere I can't follow you! I... I love you, so please don't leave me!" She begged._

_Tobio's eyes widened at those words, his eyes shaking._

_Sae had never understood how the feelings came to be, though if she had any kind of answer? They had always been close, and both of them had lost a parent, even if Sae hadn't lost her mother like he had, and maybe... that was all that mattered._

_While she never understood why she never said anything before, at this very moment... she finally found the courage, all because she didn't want Tobio to fall into despair._

_"Sae..." Tobio repeated, beginning to cry even more._

**「** **Insert Song End** **」**

_He hugged her close, silently promising her he wouldn't and thanking her for what she said, because now he understood the truth of their bond._

_That Sae was his light of hope._

* * *

Feeling the morning sun hit his eyes, Tobio woke up, recalling the memory he had dreamt of.

"The day I lost my grandmother, and finally got together with Sae... crazy timing for me to have dreamt about that of all things." Tobio said to himself.

He turned his head a bit, seeing that Sae was still asleep on his shoulder.

While he intended on not moving, as he didn't want to wake her... his phone suddenly began ringing, getting his attention. Realizing his position, he sighed as he moved forward, causing Sae to fall on his lap and wake up from the impact.

"Huh... what?" She mumbled, rubbing her eyes.

Getting to his phone, Tobio saw the number that was calling him belonged to... Sasaki's phone!

'No way!' He gasped, answering it.

『"T-Tobio... it's you, right?"』 Sasaki answered with a weak voice.

Sae fully woke up at that.

"Yeah, it's me. What are you calling me about? I'm assuming it relates to, you know..." Tobio replied.

『"Yeah, I am... while I can't remember much, there is something that... you need to know. When I'm doing, you and Sae need to... run, and... don't look back."』 He wheezed out.

"Ok, I'm listening." Tobio replied, starting to sweat.

『"I don't... know what they want... specifically, but... they mentioned something about... Five."』 Sasaki revealed.

That response confused the two.

'Only five? Is that related to Natsume and Konton? But wait, there's seven survivors, so what could that mean?' Sae thought, struggling to find a link between the info from yesterday and right now.

Sasaki was heard wheezing, making the two panic, though another voice quickly replied.

『"There's... seven survivors, right?"』 Morose asked.

"Morose? Is Sasaki alright?" Sae asked.

『"Don't panic... we're just really drained, I bet... he just pushed the muscles in... his chest too hard. Just know that... everyone else... they're like us, mere puppets to... some monsters. You need to... find the other students, now run! I'm sure they're already-"』 Morose answered.

Suddenly, a huge amount of static was heard.

"Hello!?" Tobio exclaimed, feeling worried.

He moved his smartphone to look at the screen, showing that his phone couldn't detect any bars from the house's internet connection. Right at that same moment...

*CLICKING*

Both Sae and Tobio froze at the sound, realizing it came from _inside_ the house.

" **Find...** " A male voice hissed.

"Oh no, do you think..." Sae whispered, panicking a bit.

"Grab anything that could be used as a weapon... we'll try to sneak out, but be ready if we get spotted." Tobio whispered, grabbing a decorative tray on the table.

Nodding her head, Sae looked around and grabbed an old umbrella, and they both quietly tried to reach the door.

" **Found you.** " The male voice stated.

Both of them stopped at that, right as Tobio felt a sticky liquid... maybe a saliva, drip onto his shoulder. Both of them looked up, and soon found the horror that had spoken on the ceiling.

It was a Spider-based Utsusemi, with a male Ryoukuu High student clinging to its back.

" **Found you!** " He loudly repeated.

"Go, go, go!" Tobio shouted.

Right as the Utsusemi jumped at them, Tobio's instincts immediately led him to smash the tray on its face, making it shatter into pieces. While the monster didn't take any damage, it shook its head as disorientation struck it.

Sae rushed ahead, with Tobio quickly following her as he grabbed two backpacks, tossing one to Sae.

"Glad we thought to pack these in advance!" Sae remarked.

"Move aside, no time to just unlock the door!" Tobio warned.

He immediately took the lead before he smashed his shoulder into the door, breaking it down so they could immediately rush outside.

However, rather than the safe sanctuary that Natsume implied the light of day would give the outside? It was completely void of all people, and with a strange ripple that seemed like a semi-visible Borealis if it was clear up in the sky.

"Tobio, is that what I think it is?" Sae asked, going pale as she looked at her house's entrance.

"Some kind of barrier to keep anything supernatural from Human eyes? Considering how Konton mentioned we don't know the Supernatural is real without our knowledge, I'd say that's a likely possibility!" Tobio agreed, similarly afraid.

Having recovered from its daze, the Spider Utsusemi charged towards the door, announcing how close it was getting through its clicking sounds.

"We need to find Natsume, go right!" Sae shouted.

Right as they prepared to run that way, the Spider Utsusemi broke free, and immediately began to unleash its clicking sounds like some kind of warning siren. This ended up ruining the duo's plans as a Frog Utsusemi crashed in front of their path.

Turning around, the Spider Utsusemi immediately leaped towards the left path, completely boxing them in.

" **No escape.** " Both declared.

Opening its mouth, the Frog Utsusemi released a tongue not unlike the one connected to its Lizard sibling that acted through Sasaki, forcing Sae to hold up the Umbrella towards it, acting as a one-time shield as it was shredded into pieces.

"Damn it, this is crazy!" Tobio exclaimed.

The Spider Utsusemi spewed out a rope of silk, leaving Sae to duck while Tobio rushed ahead and slid under it to dodge it. However, this left him open to the Frog Utsusemi unleashing his tongue at him, which Sae noticed.

"Oh no!" She panicked.

Luckily, she realized while the umbrella's cover had been torn apart, the base was still intact. Swinging it at the tongue's underside, it bounced its aim enough that it latched onto the Spider Utsusemi's web.

The two beasts' eyes widened as the Spider was suddenly pulled towards the Frog, landing inside its mouth as their puppet hosts crashed heads with each other.

"I can't believe I just did that!" Sae remarked, rushing towards Tobio.

"Well the good news is we have a chance to run, let's just hope that it'll be far enough!" Tobio answered.

A few minutes passed as they ran, and there was still no sign of Natsume coming.

'Natsume, they didn't manage to capture you... did they?' Tobio thought worriedly, hoping something would soon prove him wrong.

He looked at his hand, gripping it.

'Damn it, only being able to runaway... I feel so helpless!' He grunted.

Their small reprieve immediately came to an end as they saw a shadow fly overhead, showing the Frog Utsusemi leaping overhead with the Spider on its back, and slamming onto the ground in front of them once again.

Once again, the Spider Utsusemi fired its silk at the two, this time without anything to protect them.

"Please, someone save us!" Sae screamed, hugging Tobio's arm with closed eyes.

Tobio gritted his teeth, closing his eyes.

"If there really is some kind of power inside of me... we need you! I want to protect the girl I love! Please, give me your strength, let me keep Sae safe!" Tobio begged, screaming at the top of his lungs.

_'Do not worry... you are a blessed child, Tobio.' His grandmother's voice echoed._

His eyes widened at that, feeling a memory pulse through his head like lightning.

* * *

_A young Tobio was seen resting in bed, his eyes closed as the signs of some kind of illness that seemed to be hyperthermia based on the pained screams and his choice to rest over his blanket instead of under it._

_"Grandma... help me..." Tobio begged, holding himself as pain raced through his veins._

_"Hang on Tobio, you'll be OK." His grandmother reassured him._

_Despite her words, the clear sign of a cold sweat could be noticed on Ageha's expression as she looked for something, occasionally glancing at her grandson's condition._

_'The power inside of him is too compatible, and his lineage from me has let him inadvertently achieve its full potential before he could even train and ready his body for it. If I don't find them fast enough, then he'll-" She thought._

_A small thump was heard, and she saw his body slumped across the bed... with his face looking peaceful._

_"Tobio!" Ageha screamed._

_As she went to look at him, something fell to the ground from her sudden motion, revealing the beads that Sae wore as a bracelet in the present day._

_"Good, then it's not too late." She realized._

_Holding them up to Tobio's body, she began chanting, making the beads glow a bright red. The image of some kind of avian appeared behind her back, quickly moving on top of Tobio's body._

_"I will seal your memory of this for now, until the day you can remember, and this power is safe for you to wield. There's a chance you may consider it fearful at first, but do not worry... you are a blessed child, Tobio." She promised._

_*HOWL*_

_As the strange sound of a Wolf sounded out, Sae jumped a bit as she blinked from her house, though quickly decided she was hearing things._

_Tobio's body resumed breathing, though now without any signs he had been sick in the first place._

* * *

Still frozen in place, Tobio held his head in confusion.

'What... what was that?' He asked.

**_«"I have found you, partner!"»_ **

And with that enigmatic reply, Tobio's body released an overwhelming aura, making Sae's eyes widen as she noticed the light breech her eyelids. The Utsusemi's attack got even closer, until...

*SLICE*

In moments, all of the silk was shredded apart, making both Utsusemi show surprise... right as the they both suddenly tumbled back, leaving the duo with white eyes as they tried to register the sight before them.

"What... just happened?" Tobio asked in surprise.

"Tobio, your shadow! Look!" Sae pointed out.

**「** **Power Rangers Dino Charge: Opening - Instrumental** **」**

He turned to look, and saw from his shadow came what looked to be a black wolf pup, though with fox's tail. However, the oddest thing about it was on its forehead, there was the marking of a red diamond.

"No way, it's just like... Konton!" Tobio gasped, realizing what it was.

Growling a bit at the two Utsusemi before it, the young wolf gave a feral roar befitting of its young age. From its own body, shadows formed and took the shape of curved blades, not unlike those seen on a sickle or a scythe.

"I'm not sure what to do here, but... take those creatures out, Jin!" Tobio ordered, naming the dog.

He wasn't sure if it had a default name like Konton, but as it didn't seem to be able to talk like the abnormal avian could, he named the wolf pup after the shadow blades it had created.

The puppy barked, accepting its chosen name as it rushed ahead, and in before the Frog Utsusemi could react... slash markings appeared across its entire body, making it slowly shatter into cube-like sections. The female student soon collapsed onto the ground, free of its control.

"Good boy!" Sae praised.

**「** **Insert Song End** **」**

The Spider Utsusemi instantly began to back away, instinctively realizing the danger in front of it, and chose to flee instead of preserving itself until more Utsusemi could appear.

"Oh no, it's getting away!" Sae shouted.

Jin barked in response, causing some shadows to fly at Tobio before shaping themselves into the form of a scythe.

"I think he wants you to use it." Sae assumed.

"Well, I do owe that think for breaking your house, so..." Tobio remarked.

Glaring a bit, he suddenly felt himself rush ahead at speeds that made Sae gasp, and the Spider Utsusemi clicked in a panic before Tobio zipped past it like a bullet. The creature didn't even get a chance to react as it shattered instantly!

"Holy..." Sae breathed.

Tobio saw the scythe disappear shortly after, with Jin sitting himself by his new master.

"I don't really know who or what you are, but despite that... thanks for appearing to save us when you did." Tobio smiled, scratching behind his left ear.

The puppy wagged his tail in joy, kicking one of his legs.

"Hey, do you think Jin might be able to sniff out where Natsume is." Sae wondered aloud.

"Think you can try that buddy?" Tobio asked the young wolf.

Jin nodded his head, but before he could... he suddenly started growling in a certain direction, making the two worriedly turn in that direction. Said worry verified its warrant as they saw a new horror flying above them.

It was a huge Utsusemi that took the form of a Moth, with all four of its wings double the beast's entire length.

"Oh no, how many are waiting to attack us?" Sae asked worriedly.

Ready to fight a third round, the wolf puppy readied itself to attack. Fortunately for the trio, a bunch of wind blades struck it from behind.

"Huh?" Sae blinked.

Both of them immediately turned to see the familiar form of Konton flying into view.

"Look, it's Konton!" She cheered.

"Then that would mean..." Tobio realized.

Landing right near part of the rooftops closest to the Moth Utsusemi came the sight of Natsume, looking a little roughed up as she held two guns with an odd shape that looked like a smoothed and curved version of Konton's wing structure.

"Sorry that I'm late! A few of these monsters ambushed me in my sleep!" She shouted, waving at them.

"We're just glad you're OK!" Tobio reassured her.

"Thanks! Now, let me have the honor of taking this one out!" Natsume replied.

Jumping down, she aimed her guns towards the street below her, and unleashed a small burst of sound to cushion her landing. Konton soon flew onto her arm.

"Alright Konton... let's do it!" Natsume exclaimed.

 **«"You've got it!"»** Konton replied, puffing her chest.

Holding her guns close, they charged up a burst of sonic energy inside of them, prompting Konton to place her talons on them.

" **Sonic Smasher!** "

Firing each gun, Konton lunged forward before disappearing from view... only to smash into the Moth Utsusemi a few seconds later, causing it to release a loud noise before it shattered. As the student riding it fell to the ground, Konton dived down to catch him, and safely got him to the surface.

Throwing her handguns up, they vanished in the same manner the scythe Jin had given Tobio did, followed by Konton perching herself on her arm as usually.

"You two alright?" Natsume asked.

"Aside from the stress and fear powered adrenaline... guess so." Sae replied.

Natsume soon noticed Jin, and squeed at the cute puppy.

"This is your Sacred Gear? It's so cute!" Natsume exclaimed, hugging him close to her chest.

Jin began to whimper slightly, feeling a little smothered by her buxom figure.

"Uh... Natsume?" Sae coughed.

Looking at the young wolf, she chuckled before putting him down.

"Anyways... whatever we need to talk about, it might be a good idea to find that source Konton was noticing yesterday, now that we know broad daylight doesn't keep us as safe as we thought." She suggested.

 **«"Sorry, guess this kind of thing was part of my fuzzed-out memories."»** Konton apologized.

"Don't worry, I doubt any of us saw this coming... just like we didn't consider it would mean we'd each have to carry one of our fellow Ryoukuu High students as a consequence." Tobio reassured the small hawk.

The girls lowered their heads as they heard him say that, and grabbed the three students they saved before they followed Konton and Jin's lead towards the source of the non-Utsusemi power.

* * *

Looking at the sight of another three Utsusemi on the enigmatic boss' screen disappeared, making him hum as he looked towards a female associate.

"Was their confirmation of a Sacred Gear activating?" The boss asked.

"Yes, a huge surge of power went off, and based on the power... we may have found the strongest of the five." She answered.

He gave a small smirk at that.

"Alright, send out more towards them, we'll wear them down one by one." He ordered.

Right before the female associate could respond, the screen flashed a warning sign, getting the boss' attention as he saw it.

"Hmm?" He blinked.

Two new readings popped up, revealing powerful Sacred Gears without any records to confirm their identities pop up within Ryoukuu Town's boundaries.

"Sir, what is this?" The female associate asked.

"Looks like we've finally picked up the wrong attention, and considering Sacred Gears are involved..." The boss answered.

At that moment, his gaze became a glare.

"Then it must be the work of those Fallen Angels and the Grigori." He said through gritted teeth.

Pressing a button, he sent a dozen Utsusemi their way.

* * *

The trio continued walking around the city, trying to be as stealthy as they could while their two Sacred Gear partners followed the scent, only for them to stop as they noticed something else.

"Konton, is something wrong?" Natsume asked.

 **«"We're sensing new energy sources, and... it seems like they're only a little way ahead of us."»** Konton answered.

At that moment, a pained hissing was heard.

Realizing that it was likely a Snake Utsusemi that made the sound, the group got closer to see if they had found more of their fellow survivors, but what they actually saw?

"Huh?" Sae blinked.

The very Snake Utsusemi was blasted by a mass of twilight energy, flying back as it shattered apart. Though that was nothing compared to another eleven Utsusemi that all launched themselves at a three-meter tall statue of ice.

Looking closer at it, they saw the very ice sculpture took the form of a woman, with six eyes on the left side of its face and something resembling the thorns of a rose studded on the right side.

"Konton, is that..." Natsume asked, pointing at it.

The hawk turned its head, which the trio took as her being clueless about what it was. Regardless of the ice statue's nature, it immediately froze a huge section of the area, and used it to slide past the remaining Utsusemi, throwing out its arm to shift it into a blade, and slash through all of them. In mere seconds, all of them shattered, and the ice doll caught all eleven students.

"Vali, do you have the last student?" Lavinia asked.

"Yeah, I knocked her off the snake thing before I sent it flying!" Vali answered, her voice echoing from further away.

At that moment, the trio saw the blonde mage walk into view... right as she noticed them.

'Please be an ally, please!' Tobio begged.

Lavinia walked towards the three, flashing a big smile that kept any of them from thinking she was a threat to them, and then stopped a few feet before them.

"You must be the ones the Utsusemi have been after." She stated.

"Is that what you call these monsters?" Tobio asked.

Considering what they were, calling them Utsusemi was fitting as if memory served him right, two of the four meanings for the name were "the cast-off shell of a cicada" or "emptiness", which fit how they shattered like glass when slain.

"Not what we call them, whoever created these creatures actually named them that." Lavinia clarified.

'Theory confirmed." Tobio thought.

"While there are others we still need to find, I think it's best we get you to our safe house. Though let me help you out with your friends first." She continued.

Holding out a finger, she formed magic circles on all 15 students, causing them to vanish.

"Huh? What did you-" Sae asked.

"I moved them outside of the barrier, people should find them all soon enough and get them help." Lavinia reassured them.

Turning her head, Lavinia put her hands near her mouth.

"Hey Vali, meet me back at the safe house!" She shouted.

"OK!" She replied.

With that, she motioned her hand before walking ahead, with the ice sculpture following at her side. Despite the weirdness and confusion towards the situation, they all followed their... unique new ally.

* * *

The group was guided into the forest close to Ryoukuu Town, where Lavinia eventually stopped near a large concentration of trees.

"Alright, we're here." She smiled.

"Uh... are you sure? There's just a bunch of trees here." Natsume questioned.

Hearing that, the blonde wizard giggled before she walked directly toward a tree... and then went through it, making the trio all go white eyed in shock. Seconds later, she poked her head into view.

"Surprise! These trees are just camouflage, which is why it's a _safe_ house." Lavinia explained.

The trio gave nervous laughter in reply.

"Well, that's one way you make someone jump out of their skin..." Tobio remarked.

"Yeah." Sae nervously agreed.

All of them soon followed her through the trees, and soon found an apartment building hidden inside. Once they walked through the entrance, they found it full of things like a TV, a DVD player, a few game consoles, and a fridge.

Basically, everything you _wouldn't_ expect to see in forest, or at least a home that was built in the middle of a forest.

"Whoa, this is..." Natsume remarked, still a bit shocked.

Lavinia turned towards the trio.

"In case you're asking how this is possible, I happen to be a magician." Lavinia explained.

"That's... actually not too hard to believe." Tobio replied in shock.

While everyone was still entranced by the apartment they were in, a few footsteps could be heard. The trio turned their heads as they saw Vali look into the room. Upon her arrival, Natsume's eyes widen as she saw the size of her breasts.

"Uh... is something wrong?" Vali asked, getting slightly worried.

"Sorry, but I've gotta ask... how old are you?" Natsume questioned, hoping she was at least 15.

"I'm 12." She answered.

Natsume went white at that, feeling her own chest as she hung her head, with a metaphorical arrow saying: "Was only 75 cm at that age" pointing at her.

"How do you get that busty before you've even entered Junior High?" Natsume asked.

"Don't feel bad, the only reason Vali has such a large size at her age because she's Half-Devil." Lavinia reassured her.

She froze at that, looking at Vali.

"I'm sorry, but... what did you just say?" Natsume inquired.

Vali chuckled a bit, rubbing her head.

"Right, I haven't introduced myself just yet. My name is Valiana Lucifer, but please, just call me Vali." She greeted, revealing her incredible heritage.

"Wait, Lucifer!? As in... the First Angel who went against God, and then became the King of Hell; that Lucifer!?" Sae asked.

Turning a bit, Vali promptly revealed all twelve of her Devil wings, making the trio gasp as that answered the question in place of any fancy words. Natsume swore she almost fainted from the shock.

"He's my Great Grandfather, and soon to be my father." Vali confirmed.

"Eh?" Tobio blinked.

"Uh, let's just say that Devils have a... unique situation to their families." She lied, not wanting to remind herself of her mother's death.

With all the weird stuff the supernatural had already shown them, none of them bothered to ask further, to Vali's great relief.

"Albion, it's your turn." Vali stated, holding up the back of her left hand.

 **("Right.")** Albion replied.

 **«"Wait a minute... is that who I think it is!?"»** Konton gasped, noticing the blue light that appeared.

The trio looked at the hawk.

 **("You are correct Konton, it's me. As for you three, greetings, my name is Albion, better known as the White Dragon Empress.")** The Dragoness revealed.

None of them recognized the name Albion with a Dragon, with Tobio even scratching his head.

 **("No worries, my name isn't as well known to the Human world as the supernatural, you'd likely be more familiar with me as the White Dragon of England.")** Albion clarified.

"Wait, that's you!?" Sae exclaimed.

 **("It is, and not only that, but the Red Dragon of Wales? He just happens to be my mate.")** Albion confirmed, followed by her other reveal.

And with that... Natsume fell to her knees, sputtering some gibberish from the shock.

"Hold on, why are you in Vali's left hand?" Tobio asked.

 **("Simple, because 2000 years ago, I was sealed inside this Longinus by God when me and Ddraig threw a little... tantrum for something most of the mythological world had done to us.")** Albion explained.

"Longinus?" Sae repeated.

Konton flew in front of the two, deciding to answer this one.

 **«"There are a rare few Sacred Gears that are on an entirely different level than others, being so strong that any wielder who has them can potentially slay a God in battle. We call them the Longinus, a name chosen after the Saint who created the first when he took the life of Jesus Christ, who's soul inhabits one of them. The Divine Dividing, the one Albion is sealed inside, is one of the four Sacred Gears with this title."»** Konton explained.

Upon hearing that, Vali's hand blinked quite a bit to signify Albion was snickering.

 **«"What? What's so funny?"»** Konton asked.

 **("You obviously haven't been used much or been used by those who were aware of current events. In the current day, there are now over 13 Longinus in existence, the four you're talking about are simple the initial batch in a sense.")** Albion replied.

The strange hawk gave a loud squawk at the White Dragoness' revelation, flapping around a bit before fainting midair.

She dropped overhead of her partner, finally making Natsume stop her gibberish, and immediately waking Konton back up as she took flight once more.

 **«"I hate my fuzzy memory..."»** Konton quietly groaned.

Lavinia giggled a bit, and soon turned to the others, deciding to properly introduce herself as well.

"My name is Lavinia Reni, and this is my partner Yama-Uba, the spirit sealed within the Absolute Demise." She greeted, motioning to a snowflake clip she hadn't been wearing prior.

 **«"It's a pleasure to meet you all."»** Yama-Uba replied.

 **«"Ooh! It's been a while Yama, though you sound a lot younger now. Is that related to being inside of a Longinus?"»** Konton smiled.

 **«"Yes, it's a long story, but the result of it made me younger. The avatar form I take is the only thing with my odd eyes now."»** Yama-Uba replied happily.

Lavinia smiled at her partner catching up with an old friend, but quickly cleared her throat.

"You two can catch up later. For right now... Tobio, Natsume, and Sae; I think the three of you would like to know the specifics behind why the Second-Years of Ryoukuu High were kidnapped in the first place, am I right?" She inquired.

"That's right. Konton and Natsume helped give us a theory, but we don't know the specific reasoning behind it." Tobio verified.

Lavinia nodded and soon sat down, with Vali paying close attention as well.

"While there's still some details that I don't know, what I am aware of is that they learned a few of the Second-Years from your school possessed a certain group of Sacred Gears... ones they needed specifically for some purpose. What I know about these Sacred Gears is they're independent avatar-types." She explained.

"Is that what mine and Natsume's are?" Tobio asked, looking at Jin and Konton.

Lavinia nodded her head.

"As is my Absolute Demise, because they work by manifesting an avatar for a spirit to inhabit, where most Sacred Gears are either weapons or part of one's biology. Either way, they set up the cruise liner's accident to gather them all. However, each of the Sacred Gears had been aware of an outside force watching them, and prevented their wielders from attending the trip." She continued.

Tobio silently nodded his head, now realizing why he got sick during a time where he shouldn't have.

"Excluding Sae due to her circumstances of having beads tied to a shrine family, all of the survivors have Sacred Gears in their possession. Although, how many they're looking for is what I don't know." Lavinia finished.

"I'm guessing it's five." Tobio mentioned.

"What makes you say that?" Vali asked, curious at the speed of his reply.

"One of our friends called me before we were attacked and mentioned that number, which means among the survivors when excluding Sae, one of us has to have a Sacred Gear that's the odd one out among the group they're searching for." He explained.

Hearing that, the blonde magician nodded her head.

"Searching for five when there's six is a possibility. Besides, having only a certain group of Sacred Gears in one place without some added variety would be odd, not to mention very suspicious." Lavinia agreed.

"Hopefully when Aunt Penemue returns, she'll have found the evidence we need for a solid answer." Vali mentioned.

Natsume rubbed her forehead, trying to recall the name.

"Penemue... Penemue... where have I heard that before?" She wondered aloud, knowing it was at least Christian in origin.

"She's one of the cadres/leaders of the Grigori, the main government of the Fallen Angels and those who work under them. Ryoukuu Town just happens to be part of their territory in the Human World, and recent events have gotten her attention because it's within the area she's in charge of watching. Because she and Lucifer were originally one of the 10 Great Seraphs, that technically makes her related to Vali." Lavinia explained.

 **«"Ah, so she must have been the power signature from the other day!"»** Konton realized.

Remembering the black wings of the woman she saw when he was younger, Tobio wondered if he should ask what he was thinking, that Penemue was that very woman.

Eventually, his curiosity won out.

"By chance, does Vali's aunt have... purple hair, and ten wings?" Tobio asked.

"She does, why do you ask?" Vali answered, a confused look on her face.

He gasped at that.

"That woman from ten years ago, the one with the black wings... it really was her!" He exclaimed, his eyes shaking.

Vali blinked a bit, looking at Tobio.

"Do you know Aunt Penemue?" Vali asked.

"Well, not exactly, but... a woman with both those traits approached me, and hinted the existence of my Sacred Gear." Tobio admitted.

Vali showed surprise at that, while Lavinia scratched her chin.

"Hmm... that must mean there's something about your Sacred Gear she had an interest in. While I'm not an expert like she is, I can at least take a look, and hopefully figure out which one you have." Lavinia replied.

She walked over to Jin, who was currently chewing on part of the couch, getting the puppy's attention.

While she didn't have any idea, Yama-Uba soon let out a loud gasp, getting her partner's attention.

"Yama-Uba, do you recognize this Sacred Gear before?" She asked.

 **«"I do... in fact, any Youkai who didn't know would have to be an amnesiac or unaware of modern knowledge to not recognize! It's the Longinus that houses Inugami, this Canis Lykaon!"»** Yama-Uba exclaimed.

Vali and Lavinia gasped, while Tobio froze at that, both Sae and Natsume staring at him after having fallen on their asses in shock. Konton had similarly fallen on his back.

Jin on the other hand... just barked and wagged his tail.

"You're... you're kidding me, right? I have the power of what you called a god slayer?" He questioned.

 **("The evidence doesn't lie kid, especially if you've seen that dog manipulate shadows and/or lend you a scythe in battle.")** Albion answered.

Recalling when Jin was summoned, Tobio realized both happened.

"Both of those happened... so, this is the real deal." He breathed, looking at his partner with more awe than before.

"Well, it at least helps clear up a few things. The Canis Lykaon isn't part of any real group outside of the Longinus, so that means you lack one of the Sacred Gears this group's looking for. That means all of the remaining survivors have the others four of the set." Lavinia remarked, feeling like something was on the tip of her tongue.

Sae picked up Jin, who wagged his tail in response.

"Then shouldn't we be calling this little guy Inugami, and why's he just a pup?" She questioned.

"First question? Not at all, while he prefers most to use his old name, he allows his current host and those close to them to call him by a name of their choice. Second question? That's only because he just awakened, when Tobio gets more used to his power, Jin will revert to his true form." Vali explained.

Right after that, Sae giggled as Jin licked her cheek.

"I'll take your word for it." She smiled.

After a bit of silence that followed, Natsume decided to ask the obvious (at least to her) question.

"So, what do we do now? I'm guessing that we should be looking for the other survivors?" She asked.

"That's right, but we can't right this second. Acting without proper knowledge could have them mistake us for those monsters' allies like I'm sure you almost did when you first saw me. I think that I'll be able to triangulate one of them soon enough, but for now? We simply wait until I can get confirmation, or Penemue returns and suggests a different plan." Lavinia answered, explaining their situation.

"Yeah, guess that makes sense. Tobio and I still don't know everything we can do yet. Not to mention Sae doesn't know how to defend herself like we can." Natsume agreed.

Sae gave a nervous chuckle at that, a sweat drop on her left cheek.

"As you brought that up, I think it'll be a good idea to help get this little makeshift team together. First thing is deciding on a name." Lavinia decided.

"Ooh, can I name it!?" Vali asked, her eyes shining.

Lavinia giggled at her enthusiasm, and nodded her head to permit it, making the Hakuryuukou jump up in cheer.

"Alright, then from now on, we are... the Slash/Dog Team!" Vali announced.

Everyone went quiet at that, only needing a few seconds to realize where the name come from, with even Jin's puppy form able to recognize its origin. Vali blinked a bit, giving a forced chuckle in response.

"The Slash/Dog Team, really?" Tobio remarked, lightly shaking his head.

"I know, it's not the best name. Uh... how about Slashing Dogs of the Black Night God?" The great granddaughter of Lucifer suggested.

Blinking at that, Tobio gave an awkward laugh.

"On second thought? Let's just go with Slash/Dogs, does everyone agree?" He questioned.

"Yep." Sae replied, holding a hand up.

Natsume just nodded her head, while Lavinia just giggled.

* * *

In another part of Japan, Penemue was seen with a man with messy white hair that resembled a lion's man, and reddened skin that looked like was the result of a permanent sun burn; he was Susanoo the Shinto God of Storms.

"The Utsusemi Agency?" Penemue repeated, surprised at the name of the group she just heard.

"Yes, the group that are behind these Utsusemi monsters isn't trying to hide their link to them, but that probably relates to their origins. I must say, it shames me that the Five Principal Clans have become so... severe." Susanoo confirmed.

Penemue sweated at that, lightly biting on one of her fingernails.

"Then, the reason this Five Fiend Project exists is because of..." She asked, starting to connect the dots.

Susanoo nodded his head in confirmation.

"Yes, they're..."

And right as he was in the middle of his reply, he ended up showing his infamous trait that gave him the title as the "lazy god" among the Shinto Deities... suddenly falling asleep out of nowhere.

Blinking a bit, Penemue sighed as she formed a tiny light spear, and stabbed it into one of his pressure points. He immediately jumped as he woke up.

"O-oh, did I fall asleep again? Sorry about that. Anyways, they're exactly what they'd need to take revenge against the Clans they feel have wronged them, no matter how much the damage could echo across the Human world." Susanoo continued, apologizing for his sudden nap.

"And you can't act because you're sure that with the power at the Shinto Pantheon's disposal, they could easily kill all of the captured students... a risk too big when there's 233 hostages they took." Penemue realized.

The God of Storms nodded his head, sighing.

"While I can't directly aid you, what I can do is get to each of the Clans myself. I think it's best that I have the Legendary Beasts choose new leaders that can aid your efforts in our place." Susanoo replied.

"Any help you can give would be appreciated." Penemue replied.

"That's good to hear. I'll head on over, in the meanwhile, you should return to Ryoukuu Town and help start the fight against these bastards." Susanoo suggested.

Penemue nodded her head, flying into the sky as she looked at the files Susanoo gave to her.

'With what Susanoo just told me... I think we might just need the power of three Longinus to simply have a chance against the threat this Utsusemi Agency is bringing to us.' She thought.

* * *

**Looks like things are heating up, and now another major change to the story has been revealed, that there's not Four Fiends... there's a total of _Five_ Fiends! For those wondering who this fifth fiend is? In Chinese, he's called "Zhulong", and isn't normally considered a malevolent creature, but in Japanese (where he's called "Sokuryu"), it's the reverse. The best example I know of is one Koei game, where he's tied to the Four Fiends.**

**This story uses that version of the fiends as a basis, meaning while Toutetsu is as powerful as in the canon SLASHDOG novels (where he's the strongest), Sokuryu is the leader of the five in this story, and is even stronger. I've never really looked much into this concept before making LOSD, and that makes me very excited for how my ideas for the Five Fiends will pan out :)**

**We've also had Tobio finally learn about the Canis Lykaon, which he's managed to use for the first time. Jin might be in his weak state right now, but when this wolf finally finds its howl, he'll show what makes him become one of the most powerful humans in-story and in canon. Though based on what Penemue's thinking, it won't help tip the scales as much as a single Longinus normally would.**

**For those who are wondering, Susanoo's threat has a lot more weight to it than it sounds, as the "Heavenly Dragons" series has the Shinto Pantheon as the 2nd Strongest faction (with Christian Pantheon being the strongest, and the Hindu Pantheon being third) in the supernatural world. The Utsusemi Agency knows this, and the fact they wouldn't risk innocent lives if it can be avoided, leaving them in a stalemate.**

**As a result, Susanoo can only aid our heroes by reaching out to the Five Principal Clans, and that means Suzaku and the other Clan Heads will be showing up later on. They've got a limited army to the Utsusemi Agency's forces, and they have to win using it to avoid risking the Second-Year students, or worse... maybe even make Ryoukuu Town itself a target of destruction.**

**Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^**

* * *

** Bust Size of New Female Characters ** **:**

**None**

* * *

** Brief Summaries of Abilities/Equipment/Terms in Today's Chapter ** **:**

**None**

* * *

** Pairings List ** **:**

**Tobio/Sae - Dating**  
Azazel/Penemue - Married  
Ddraig/Albion - Married


	3. Chapter 3

**Last chapter was pretty amazing, especially with the reveal that the Fiends have a fifth member in this story. We'll see them show up at some point, but for right now, we're about to have our heroes go after the last of the major characters of SLASHDOG, the delinquent we all know and love as Kouki Samejima, otherwise known as the shark by word of Lavinia.**

**We've finally got almost everyone from the canon Slash/Dog Team (if we count Penemue in Azazel's place) together, so I'm excited with how we're nearing the point that I can have this story take its own direction from the official novel. No idea if the novels will ever do this, but at least in this story, all of the hosts for the Sacred Gears linked to the Fiends will be part of one team!**

**Hopefully, this chapter lets me expand more on this story's version of the Utsusemi Agency, since I've only been able to hint to the canon boss, and show subordinates that haven't been fully fleshed out besides they're exiles from one of the Five Principal Clans, which is already a thing. At the very least, one of them is going to show up in this chapter.**

**Now with all of that explained, let's begin today's chapter!**

* * *

**()** \- Albion Talking

 **«»** \- Consciousness of any other Sacred Gear Talking

〖〗 - Voice Speaking through a Magic Circle

 **「」** \- Insert Song Beginning, or Ending

 **【】** \- Voice made by an Announcement, or through an Announcer

 **⟨⟩** \- Custom Spell's Aria Chant

『』 - Electrical Voice or Machine Speaking

* * *

** Absolute Demise **

**One of the Longinus, holding the spirit of the Yama-Uba, a powerful and elder Yuki-Onna formerly known for having only a single eye on the right side of her face. Not unlike Inugami, her Longinus was created after trying to possess a Sacred Gear. However, this had the benefit of making her beautiful and young, while her former appearance became the ice sculpture that is the battle form of Absolute Demise's avatar.**

**The power of the Absolute Demise is over the cold, ice, snow, and crystals. The range and power of these frozen is so massive, the user could either freeze a small country into a wintry state, or locked within a crystal. While some don't believe this, certain areas of the world such as the frozen ice caps were created through this, although the reasons behind them have never been unveiled.**

**Like most Sacred Gears that are independent avatar-types, the Absolute Demise's Balance Breaker allows it to fuse with its user, though in a much more unique way that can best be described as symbiotic possession. While in this state, the user and Yama-Uba become one, enhancing their powers to their fullest potential and even allowing the Absolute Demise's power to fuse into their usual abilities, allowing for some potentially powerful attacks.**

**The current wielder of the Absolute Demise is Lavinia Reni, a powerful magician that's allied with the Devils and Demons.**

* * *

**_ Chapter 3, Rise of the Utsusemi Arc: The Sacred Delinquent _ **

Tobio was seen resting on a chair in the Slash Dog Team's hideout, using the chance to relax after all of the Utsusemi attacks they've had to deal with, knowing he would need all of his strength.

He also took a moment to think about the two allies who would be helping them rescue all of their classmates, and find the other survivors that were being hunted like he, Sae, and Natsume all were. Lavinia was a bubbly wizard, and seemed to be the stronger of the two based on how she defeated eleven out of a dozen Utsusemi, and seemed to be a year older. Vali was a normal girl personality wise, and in exchange for being weaker, she had more unique powers on hand.

'Both of them already seem powerful, and I get the feeling they're not big fish among the supernatural world either.' He thought.

Vali's great grandfather already showed evidence to that, and while he didn't know how much of the myths about God/Elohim were true, he had good reason to assume his power was strong enough for the Devil to be a high-ranking name in the supernatural world.

"Hey, Tobio?" Vali asked.

"Hmm?" Tobio blinked, looking at her.

Seeing the descendant of the very Devil he had been thinking about on his side, he turned to look at her.

"Oh, hey there Vali, did you need something?" Tobio asked as he sat up.

"Just wanted to know if you were hungry, I don't think you got to eat breakfast based on what Sae just mentioned to me." She asked.

Right as she asked that, Tobio suddenly blush as he heard his stomach growling.

"Guess your stomach decided to answer for you." Vali replied, doing her best to hold back her laughter.

"Yeah..." Tobio chuckled in embarrassment.

* * *

Vali was seen humming as she began cooking up some food in the kitchen, the smell alone already getting Natsume's mouth to water as she and everyone (except Lavinia) sat by at the table.

"What she's making has to be good with an aroma like that." She stated, wiping her mouth a bit.

"I'm surprised that a person at her age would know how to cook?" Sae admitted.

The future Lucifer Heiress giggled in response to that, gathering all the food onto a tray as she began walking into the dining area.

"Learned it from the current Youkai leader, Yasaka, when I was training under her last year." She answered.

Seeing the spread before them, Natsume immediately grabbed a plate and dug her fork in, making everyone give a brief blink of surprise before they saw her making a face of ecstasy from her first bite.

"Are you sure you're not an Angel? This food is heavenly!" She exclaimed.

"Well... my great grandfather did start as an Angel, so I guess you're not technically wrong when you say that?" Vali answered, a nervous sweat drop on her right cheek.

Konton and Jin both were seen digging in themselves, showing faces of approval towards the young Devil.

"Say, now that I notice it... where is Lavinia?" Sae asked.

"Think she said that she was trying to get some info on the other survivors from Ryoukuu High while waiting for her magic." Vali recalled.

Right as she said that, her eyes widened a bit.

"Oh crud... have any of you let your parents know how you are? They'd probably be worried about you leaving out of nowhere due to their perceptions of events from the magic barrier you were all caught up in." She asked.

"I work as the Treasurer for the Student Council, being the only Second-Year on it. My parents aren't strangers to me being absent if I mention it via a text." Natsume reassured her.

"As for me, my mom's still out on business, though I bet she's trying to get home after what happened with me. Doubt she'll be around to worry about me and Tobio not being there for a while." Sae mentioned.

Vali looked at her, blinking a few times.

"I'm confused, why would she need to..." She asked, a little confused.

 **("Vali.")** Albion interjected.

Hearing her partner's voice, the great granddaughter of Lucifer suddenly managed to connect the dots, getting the trio's attention.

"Vali?" Natsume asked.

"I get it... Tobio, your parents aren't with us anymore, are they? I'm guessing the same with Sae's father since she didn't bring him up?" She asked, giving a sad smile.

Tobio was surprised by that.

"No way, for you to realize that so easily." Natsume remarked, her face full of surprise.

Vali closed her eyes, and that's when Tobio finally confirmed his earlier assumption.

"Of course, that's why you said Lucifer is your soon to be father... you're an orphan, aren't you?" He asked, hoping he wasn't crossing a line.

"Yeah, lost them when I was around 6 years old... although I don't give a damn about my father. That man just let me be born, he was so horrible I don't even consider him as such, but I loved my mother. Loved her so much that I still blame that when it mattered, I was too afraid to save her." Vali confessed, sniffling a bit.

"Save her? How... did they die?" Sae asked.

Shaking her left hand, the blue light representing Albion began to glow on it.

 **("Her grandfather murdered both her parents in front of her.")** She answered, keeping perfectly calm as she did.

Everyone's eyes widened.

"Are you serious?" Natsume asked, hoping she had honestly misheard the White Dragoness.

 **("I am. To explain this better... Lucifer opposed God because he felt there was no freedom in some of his actions, locking up Lilith for not wanting to be with Adam being his proof, and sought to give freedom to Humanity in a crusade that succeeded. However, his son, the one we know as Vali's grandfather? His name is Rizevim Livan Lucifer, and he's the worst Devil in history, one who believes his kind lives to simply be evil, and nothing more.")** Albion explained.

"Wow, never thought I'd hate someone I've only just heard about..." Tobio remarked.

 **("Haven't even given you justified reason. He made Vali's father treat her like crap, which is why she has no love for the man, and made sure to harm, torture, and traumatize her just for being part human. Then... he learned I was within her, and tried to weaponize her. Vali's mother didn't let this happen, even though she knew making Vali refuse him would come at the price of being killed.")** Albion continued.

"Oh god..." Sae breathed, covering her mouth.

Even Konton's beak and Jin's mouth had dropped in shock, with them and the trio looking at the sniffling Lucifer Heiress, who felt her tears wiped away by the nearby Sae.

"Part of me can't believe it, how can... just how are you not a silent shell after all of that?" Natsume asked.

"I... actually was for some time, even when my Uncle Azazel found me near broken where I had barely escaped from my grandpa, which had been by nothing more than pure luck. To try and help me recover, he took me to a town in Devil territory, and it did. All because I met someone, the one who'd become my best friend." Vali admitted.

"Aww~" Natsume cooed.

Vali blushed at that, taking a sip of her drink in response.

 **("And this friend of hers, a boy known as Issei Hyoudou, isn't just some ordinary boy either. He's also the host of my mate, Ddraig.")** Albion revealed.

Konton screeched loudly in surprise, making everyone cover their ears.

 **«"He's the wielder of the Boosted Gear!? I wouldn't believe it if I didn't hear it, first time I've ever seen the Sekiryuutei and Hakuryuukou not dragged into their cursed battle on sight!"»** She shouted.

"Huh?" Tobio blinked.

Vali waved her head and shook her head, making it clear she had _no_ intention of talking about it. Konton herself knew to stop after she glared at the bird slightly.

"I think it's sweet how she wants to do all of this for the boy she likes!" Lavinia giggled.

The future Lucifer Heiress screamed at that, turning to look at the blonde magician with a strong blush on her face.

"Lavinia, for the last time! We're not like-" She shouted.

Her reply suddenly stopped as she stared at what the Absolute Demise's wielder, followed by her and the rest of the group at the table blushing at Lavinia's current attire.

For some unexplained reason, she was wearing nothing but an _unbuttoned_ white shirt that revealed all of her cleavage to the group. If that wasn't enough, she had just showered and intentionally didn't dry herself off, making it almost completely see-through as it showed her white skin.

"Lavinia, for god's sake! You're not just here with me anymore! Are you that oblivious, or are you doing this on purpose!?" Vali screamed in embarrassment.

"Yes." The icy magician replied, smiling brightly.

Hearing that reply, the others were wondering what she meant, but Vali could tell what she meant.

 **(Oh boy...)** Albion sighed.

Realizing the other girls in the room were giving her a look, while Tobio kept his eyes covered, she giggled one last time before ending her fun with a clap of her hands to change back into her civilian outfit.

"I have a few things to share, but first? Let's enjoy this meal." Lavinia giggled.

"Yeah, right..." Vali said, her cheeks puffed.

Seeing her current face, Lavinia picked up some pasta with her fork, and put it near Vali's face.

"Look Vali, your favorite." She whispered.

Nothing happened, but after a few seconds... Vali lunged at the fork like a shark to a fish, unable to resist her favorite dish. Everyone blinked as she smiled again, while the blonde magician rubbed her head.

"Her mom always made it, call it her comfort food in a sense." Lavinia smiled.

"Wow... the two of you act like your sisters." Tobio remarked.

In response to that, the icy wizard gave a slight giggle before she chose to playfully bop her head with her knuckle.

* * *

After finishing their food, Lavinia looked at everyone while Vali was taking a short nap.

"Sorry for pulling that on you, but you were all being such downers with what you were talking about, and I wanted to lighten the mood." She apologized.

"That really was on purpose!?" Tobio exclaimed.

Lavinia giggled a little before bopping her head once again, making the trio sigh.

"Well... I had to, because I know the same pain as her." She admitted.

This caught them by surprise.

"You lost your parents too?" Sae asked, hoping this wasn't going to end up becoming a pattern for the day.

"Three times. When I was 5, my father and I were separated from my mother when a large flood separated us, and we never found out if she survived... though I don't think she did. Then three years later, my father was murdered when I wasn't home." Lavinia answered.

She took a deep breath, looking at the sky.

"After I lost them both, my entrance to the supernatural world was opened when I met a magician named Augusta, the at the time wielder of the Longinus known as Incinerate Anthem." She revealed.

Hearing that, Konton's eyes widened.

 **«"That's the Longinus housing the soul of Jesus inside, and one of the ones I actually know of... that alone tells me where things are going."»** The abnormal hawk replied.

"You're right... she told me that my father was killed because my Longinus had tried to talk to me many times, but always failed to make any contact. It made some people think _he_ possessed it. Realizing what happened, Augusta came to me and told me of my power, then trained me until my body was synchronized to the aspects of magic enough to change into a Magician." Lavinia confirmed.

"Hold on... by change, do you mean Magicians are a species?" Sae asked.

The blonde magician nodded her head.

"Various things can alter one's species into a variant form, like how the Fallen Angels and Demons were once Angels before Lucifer's actions inspired the things that changed them. Magicians are Humans that have taken a deep link to the magic they learned to use. However, this doesn't always end up making Magicians, as those who fall to their dark temptations, thoughts, or wishes? They become something else, and one of them is what killed Augusta. They're called... Witches." Lavinia explained.

"Basically, the difference is if they used magic for good and others, or evil and themselves." Tobio summarized it.

"That's right, and this witch is the strongest in the world, just as I've become the strongest Magician through my efforts. You see... Augusta's Longinus isn't like others, as most Sacred Gears can't leave their host without killing them, but the Incinerate Anthem can if it doesn't believe its wielder is meant to use it, or they decide they don't want to wield it. This witch killed her, and then took it, using forbidden magic so it couldn't abandon her, who could never be worthy of it." She continued.

She closed her eyes, releasing a deep breath.

"Only after she was killed did I finally make contact with my Longinus, as the losses I gained finally connected us enough that I could hear her words." Lavinia stated.

* * *

_A teenage Lavinia was seen crying near a lake within the Magician Guild's territory, shaking as her mind kept reflecting on losing Augusta._

_"First my mother was taken by a flood and likely killed, then my father dies because of people making a mistake of him having a power that I actually had, and now that Witch took Augusta away from me... why do I keep losing all the people I care about!?" She cried._

_She screamed as she unknowingly released a burst of magic, though quickly noticed some crackling sound form._

_Looking up, she gasped as she saw what caused it... the formation of ice in a formation of rising icicles with an arching curve, which made Lavinia's eyes shake in awe._

_"This is..." She breathed._

**_«"Lavinia."»_ **

_Looking ahead at the arc, the sight of the Absolute Demise's avatar appeared before her, clearer than ever before._

_"You're... the Absolute Demise?" Lavinia breathed, recalling the phantom images she had seen during her childhood._

**_«"No, that is simply what the Longinus that houses my soul is called. I am Yama-Uba, a legendary Yuki-Onna among the Youkai, and since you were born... your partner."»_ ** _Yama-Uba greeted._

_"Yama-Uba..." Lavinia repeated._

_Hovering over the ice structure and closer to the young magician, she felt the avatar's hand touch her, but she couldn't feel the cold at all._

_Actually, now that she thought about it, she never could feel the cold._

**_«"I've wanted to be able to speak with you for so long, but never could I successfully make my voice reach you... until now."»_ ** _Yama-Uba stated._

_"Why?" Lavinia asked._

**_«"Because we lacked a link, you lived in peace and without the knowledge of the supernatural. I assumed you had some knowledge because of the potential your mother passed to you, but I had been wrong, though now with these losses? Like the stories of Yuki-Onna in Human folklore, we now understand suffering, and your wish for strength has forged a link between us."»_ ** _She explained._

_She offered her hand to Lavinia, who looked at her._

**_«"You are the sole Magician to possess a Longinus, so... let me give you the strength to become the greatest one there is. Do this, and one day, reclaiming the Incinerate Anthem from that witch will be possible."»_ ** _Yama-Uba stated._

_Her eyes widened at that, and realizing she had nothing else to lose, she took her Longinus' hand in her own._

_"Augusta... I'll stop her, and become an even better Magician that you'll never need to worry about as you watch me from the Heavens." Lavinia promised herself, smiling as she cried a few remaining tears._

* * *

She opened her eyes as she finished recalling the memory.

"That's the reason I'm here, because Penemue believes this very witch is tied to everything that's happening with your classmates. It isn't my intention to avenge Augusta, but as long as she lives, I can't let Walburga keep the Incinerate Anthem." She stated, revealing the witch's name.

"Wow, seems like we've all got some kind of story here..." Natsume breathed.

"People with Sacred Gears don't tend to live ordinary lives, but not all of them are bad. Augusta lived every to the fullest before she passed on for one example." Lavinia replied.

Right at that moment, Vali yawned as she woke up.

"Oh, good morning sleepyhead. Guess it's time I get to what I wanted to talk about." Lavinia giggled.

"Is it another survivor's location?" Tobio asked.

"Yes, but... I'm not particularly sure you'll like him, or where I've determined him to be." She admitted, scratching her cheek a bit.

She took out a picture of a boy with gray hair and a smug frown.

"Wait a second... oh no, not Shark!" Natsume groaned.

"Shark?" Vali repeated.

"That's Kouki Samejima, a delinquent at our school we call the Shark due to his gray hair and his last name meaning _shark island_." Tobio answered.

"If he didn't go on the trip, his Sacred Gear didn't need to get involved. He likely didn't even want to go." Sae mentioned.

Vali blinked before she gave a scared chuckle, coupled with a slight sweat drop.

"Considering our situation, that might be a good thing, since it seems he's already shown signs that he's awakened his Sacred Gear and may have had plenty of time to learn how to use it. Though where he is on the other hand..." Lavinia replied.

Everyone was already nervous as she paused, with her keeping the same expression in an attempt to find the right way to explain it.

* * *

Deep in a certain area of Japan, a large red shrine was seen, with many members of a certain family meeting within its inner sanctum. Everyone present had equally stern expressions, looking quite annoyed at what was going on. An aging man in the middle of all made a grim face before finally spoke up.

He was the current head, and Suzaku's current host among the family, having originally been known as Suou Himejima before inheriting the Vermillion Phoenix from the previous head.

"This is an outrage! We've already had to deal with enough from the member of Grigori that swindled Shuri from us, and now they're picking their noses into this matter!" The old man raged.

"B-but Suzaku, the negotiations with Akeno have already reached a conclusion-"

The one who spoke fell back as Suzaku slammed his fist in front of where he sat, making him shake in fear.

"Don't give me that excuse! You all know that was a threat made by the Devils who were there, and we owe nothing to that spawn of evil!" Suzaku shouted.

As that happened, a 17-year old girl with the appearance of what Akeno would look like in 5 years watched from the side, a sad look on her face at what she could see right in front of her... yet the rest of her clan had long since blinded themselves to.

"There's no choice, enough problems have happened underneath the Five Principal Families, so we must utilize this opportunity to shorten the gap between us and the other families. The fact that Ageha's grandchild has finally awakened the Inugami she sealed away is a problem in itself, one that reflects poorly on us!" Suzaku declared.

He stood up, swiping his arm.

"Gather all our weapons and don our masks, we must eliminate him the same way before anything else gets in our path!" He ordered.

Hearing that, the girl finally couldn't stand by.

"Great Uncle, that's going too far! He's not even tied to our family anymore!" She called out.

Hearing this, everyone gasped as he suddenly slapped her across the cheek, making her hold it as she focused all of her willpower to avoid vocalizing the pain.

"Stay out of this Akemi, it has nothing to do with you!" Suzaku warned.

"You're right, it has to do with all of us... and how I know what you're doing isn't right! Condemning those tied to our blood for what they are, even though they've likely never heard of us or have any reason to ever be involved with us. Why can't you see that?" Akemi replied, still holding your cheek.

"As if you know anything about our role in this world. Now, know your place!" Suzaku retorted.

Right as he prepared to strike her again, a flash of lightning flew into the room, and Suzaku's arm was grabbed by a familiar red-skinned God.

"Stand down, or I'll have to get _angry_." Susanoo warned.

Everyone turned to kneel at the Shinto God of Storms, leaving only the man he held to not do so, even tightening his grip.

"Lord Susanoo, why are you here?" Suzaku questioned, looking fearful.

"Because that young one over there is the only one who's bothering to make any sense right now." Susanoo stated, glaring at Suzaku.

"What!? Surely you jest, Lord Susanoo!" He retorted.

"I do not jest, because right now? Your own actions have created the very thing you were formed to protect, and the very ones you speak ill of are the only ones even acting to do anything about it!" Susanoo shouted, the sound of thunder in his voice.

Suzaku was thrown into the wall by the force of his yell.

"If that is still not enough to believe you... great Youkai deity born of the vermillion red flames! Display the dance of fire and show who sees the truth! Who among this room do you believe remembers your correct path and should lead the future!?" Susanoo called.

Exiting the current head's body, a bright right light flew out before bursting into a bright flame resembling a bird, the Spirit of Suzaku. Looking among those in the room, it decided to make its decision.

"Lord Susanoo, you must know you're wasting your time, it will return to-"

Suou's words were never finished as the Vermillion Bird flew into the new host it chose, and the one it chose was not him.

It was Akemi.

"Suzaku has spoken, the new head of the Himejima Clan, the next she's chosen to bear... is Akemi!" Susanoo announced, his voice booming once again.

Akemi, now having become the next Suzaku Himejima, looked at her hands in awe.

"Suzaku, tell me... what is it you wish to do?" Susanoo inquired, hoping the Vermillion Bird made the right choice.

"I wish to..." She began, shaking a bit.

Taking a deep breath, Akemi made her first decision as Suzaku Himejima before the Shinto God of Storms, one that would change everything with the echoes it would resound across Japan.

"To accept my family's darkness!" Suzaku announced.

* * *

After leaving the hideout, the Slash/Dog Team found themselves in front of an abandoned building.

"What is this place?" Vali asked.

"The ruins of an old department store that went out of business when a rival took all their customers away. They're waiting for it to demolish on its own before they use this land for anything new because of how unstable it is." Natsume answered.

"I don't get why Kouki would be here though?" Tobio wondered.

Lavinia held out her hand, forming a magic circle that showed a bunch of red dots on it, with green outlines representing the area.

"What are the red dots?" Sae asked, though she already had a good feeling what they were.

"Utsusemi, he must have been cornered here and forced to hide inside. The Utsusemi can't risk killing him or it may work against their plans." Lavinia answered.

Konton chuckled at that, flying around her partner.

 **«"Good thing for us that most people need those with Sacred Gears alive to use them in any way, as it'd be too hard to find a newborn baby that has it among a population of... well, Humanity's number is some kind of billion, right?"»** Konton remarked.

Taking a moment, Tobio squinted at the building.

"So, how are we supposed to fight inside of here?" He asked, feeling a bit nervous.

"I can use a spell to fortify the building, though it will only help us out so much before the building will collapse. Though I doubt we'll deal with that result by the time we find Kouki among this mess of a building." Lavinia answered.

Looking at the group before her, they all looked at the Absolute Demise wielder in return.

"Sae, you'll check the west area with Tobio and be his defense due to the power of the beads your wearing. Natsume, you'll come with me to check the east area, as that one looks to have more enemies. Vali, you'll stay outside and hover near the top to have your Longinus attract the Utsusemi to an unreachable target, and so you can rush in should anything go wrong." She stated.

"How would Vali hovering get their attention?" Sae asked.

Vali giggled before her gauntlet formed, only to transform into a pair of wings to everyone's surprise. The great granddaughter of Lucifer soon levitated near her spot.

"While the primary form of the Divine Dividing and Boosted Gear are gauntlets, they can shift into one piece of armor from their Balance Breaker state as long as it isn't for the arm or hand opposite to the one they're linked to." She revealed.

"And with that, I'm officially jealous." Natsume remarked, looking at Konton.

The abnormal Hawk gave a forced chuckle at that, turning her head away from her partner's vaguely hidden disappointment.

"Alright everyone, let's get in there." Lavinia announced.

"Right!" They shouted.

Having set their plan of attack, the two groups went inside while Vali waited out front.

Upon getting inside, the curses of time, dust, grime, and anything else that would deteriorate such a location were ever-present, making the entire building feel a bit gloomy.

"So, what floor should we be looking at?" Natsume asked.

"Hmm... the bottom and topmost floors are the two I don't think he could be at. If he was at the bottom then Kouki would be a target, while it he went to the top... well, that's a bad idea if this place is a base of sorts for the Utsusemi's creators." Lavinia thought aloud.

"From what I recall, this place has four floors. He'd be hiding on either the second or third floor based on your theory." Natsume mentioned.

Lavinia nodded her head, and Natsume sent Konton ahead to search the area.

Meanwhile with Tobio and Sae, they were following Jin as he began sniffing around, trying to catch any scent he could for a teenage boy. A few moments in... he suddenly scrunched his nose before rubbing it on the ground, looking confused.

"What is it boy? Do you smell something odd?" Tobio asked.

Jin barked, nodding his head.

"An Utsusemi?" Sae asked.

Jin shook his head, still making a confused look... right until the duo heard some king of growl, one resembling a Tiger based on their memories of a zoo trip Tobio's grandma took them on.

Hearing it himself, Jin growled before starting to bark at it.

"I think that might be what he managed to sniff out, and if it isn't Kouki or an Utsusemi..." Tobio mentioned.

"It must be his Sacred Gear!" Sae realized.

Jin immediately dashed in the direction of the sound, making both of them panic as he ran off.

"No, wait! Come back!" Sae called out.

"Damn... guess we have to follow him now." Tobio sighed, rushing after Jin.

"Wait, Tobio! Aw geez..." Sae groaned, following him.

Canis Lykaon's puppy avatar rushed ahead, but was immediately forced to a stop as a bolt of lightning aimed at it.

Growling a bit, the sight of a small white cat with glowing green eyes, black stripes that resembled lightning bolts, and a tail that looked and moved like wispy flame jumped before it, giving off the same tiger growl that everyone heard.

 **«"Back off, you little freak!"»** The small cat, or rather Tiger cub roared.

The Canis Lykaon gave a weak howl in response, sending out a wave of shadows towards the small tiger, who roared as he discharged a bunch of lightning... only for the shadows to overwhelm him and knock him back.

"Hey Jin, wait up!" Tobio shouted.

Noticing the duo of him and Sae, the Tiger cub prepares to attack them with a surge of lightning.

"Stand down Kyuuki." A male voice intervened.

Hearing his name called, the Tiger ceased his attack in surprise, while Tobio and Sae looked to the sight to see the fairly normal-looking student that was Ryoukuu High's main delinquent, Kouki Samejima, walk into the area.

"You two, who are you?" He demanded.

"Kouki... Samejima!" Sae breathed.

Hearing his name, Kouki squinted at the two, quickly recognizing them.

"Hey, hold on a second... you look familiar." He remarked.

"W-well, we probably do, because we're Ryoukuu High survivors like you are." Tobio replied, a nervous look on his face.

"Of course, I remember you two now, the annoying lovebirds who were always flirting around." Kouki stated.

The two froze that that, while Jin raised his eyes at the reply.

 **«"As blunt as ever, Kouki."»** Kyuuki snickered.

"Says the Tiger who was too trigger happy to think before blasting two people without Utsusemi." Kouki countered.

Kyuuki went silent, taking a moment to clear his feline throat.

 **«"Hmm... it seems that these two are already familiar with the enemy we're facing. Am I wrong?"»** He inquired, looking at the Canis Lykaon.

"Yeah, the Utsusemi have already attacked us as well." Sae confirmed.

Kouki rose an eye at that, looking at them.

"That what you call those monsters?" Kouki inquired, feeling his partner jump on his shoulder.

"Yeah, and we've already met another survivor with a Sacred Gear like the both of us, along with some allies who want to help. We came here looking for you because-" Tobio explained.

"Because I'm also being targeted, can't believe the shit we've been dragged into." Kouki grumbled in annoyance.

Tobio scratched his head, unsure of how to respond to that.

"Well, it's time we get out of here, otherwise we'll..." Tobio stated.

"Can't do that. I have business upstairs, and I ain't leaving until I've taken care of it." Kouki refused.

Tobio's eyes widened as Kouki and Kyuuki rushed by him, heading up to the 4th Floor.

"He didn't..." Sae whimpered.

Tobio sighed, opening his phone as he dialed Natsume, who quickly picked up.

『"Hello?"』 Natsume answered.

"Good news? We managed to find Kouki, but the bad news? Well... he intentionally he ran upstairs to the 4th Floor." Tobio relayed.

『"He did what!?"』 Natsume exclaimed.

『"No choice then, you'll have to follow him. We'll catch up as soon as we can."』 Lavinia sighed.

Tobio nodded his head, and looked at Sae.

"Lavinia says we should follow, and that she and Natsume will catch up with us." Tobio explained.

Sae sighed, nodding her head.

"Guess we should have expected something like this could happen." She replied nervously.

Both of them followed him upstairs, with Jin following.

* * *

They quickly followed Kouki upstairs, soon finding the fourth floor had its lights on... which revealed Kouki standing against an army of Utsusemi that included ones based on a Mantis, Stag Beetle, Crab, Turtle, and more.

"Whoa... there's so many of them." Sae whimpered.

"You're right, looks like there's about 20 of them if I'm guessing right." Tobio remarked, sweating a bit.

A huge burst of lighting went off, surprising the duo as all of the lights in the room suddenly turned on.

"Heh, is that all you've got!?" Kouki questioned excitedly.

Roaring from a distance, the sight of Kyuuki zapping his electric energy towards the Utsusemi could be seen, knocking them back a bit. Seeing all the damage done and that the remaining Utsusemi were all struggling, Kouki cracked his right knuckle.

"Alright, my turn!" Kouki shouted.

Holding out his hand, Kyuuki nodded before swinging his tail forward and then back, creating a bolt of energy that transformed into a twisted spear. That action became the equivalent to a war declaration, signaling the remaining Utsusemi to attack.

"Let's do this, Jin!" Tobio shouted.

The puppy Sacred Gear barked in agreement, giving Tobio his scythe of darkness as he sunk through the shadows, causing dark mist to appear around the Utsusemi as he prepared to defeat most of the Utsusemi in one blow.

**「** **Sword Art Online: Gunland** **」**

It didn't go as planned, as the Crab Utsusemi grabbed the Turtle Utsusemi, which retreated into its shell, glowing as its skin became a platinum color. The black wolf puppy hit it, yelping as it was knocked back from the recoil. Using the moment, the Crab Utsusemi dropped the Turtle, and unleashed a torrent of water from its claws to pushed Jin even further back.

"Jin!" Tobio called out.

" **Thunder Liner!** "

Kouki tossed his spear, which unleashed an electrical discharge through the water, instantly shattering the Crab Utsusemi.

A Scorpion Utsusemi quickly rushed at Kouki, who motioned his finger, causing the spear to fly back, and stab right through a Toad Utsusemi, also hitting its Scorpion-based brethren during the return trip.

"Hey, you gonna be a sideline chick, or actually fight with us!?" Kouki glared at Sae.

"U-uh... sorry, but all I have are these shrine beads! I don't know if I even have a Sacred Gear!" Sae replied, holding her hands out.

He looked at Tobio, who shrugged.

"They were my grandma's and they kept the group who made the Utsusemi from taking her." He answered.

Kouki sighed.

"I hate these scenarios..." He remarked.

Tobio rushed ahead and swung his scythe around, cutting through the Toad and Scorpion Utsusemi and making them promptly shatter like glass.

The Mantis Utsusemi soon tried to slash at him from behind, but Kouki gave a loud scream, and instantly stabbed it in the abdomen. Using its body to swing himself up, he then thrust his spear into the Stag Beetle Utsusemi that tried to strike them from above.

'I didn't even see those two coming, how'd he notice them!?' Tobio thought, shocked at what he just witnessed.

Kouki readied his lance once again, and thrust it towards the Turtle Utsusemi... unfortunately, just like with Jin's attack, his lance was rendered useless by the strange platinum sheen that made its skin as hard as armor.

"Shit, how do we get through that one's armor?" Kouki questioned.

"If you can't pierce it, then why not crush it?" Sae suggested.

Tobio's eyes widened a bit.

"Of course, just like how a submarine needs to stay within a certain pressure threshold! Jin, squeeze that Turtle!" Tobio ordered.

Sensing their troubles, Jin gave a loud howl, causing the darkness it created to spike out and drag the Turtle Utsusemi inside of it. Jin then growled, making the Turtle Utsusemi use its hardening ability once more... only for it to start cracking.

"It worked! Kouki, now's your chance!" Tobio shouted.

"Got it!" Kouki exclaimed.

Readying his spear once again, he stabbed it into the Turtle Utsusemi and discharged more lightning. In just a few seconds, it shattered apart like the rest of its brethren. With the battle over, Kouki tossed the spear back to his partner's tail, which promptly disappeared.

**「** **Insert Song End** **」**

"And that's how it's done." Kouki smirked.

Looking at the remaining Utsusemi, they all moved back as Jin and Tobio rushed towards them, quickly cutting the rest of them down. Once it was over, all of the students were unconscious across the floor, though quickly vanished as Lavinia's magic circle teleported them away.

"What the?" Kouki blinked.

"A magician friend of ours, she probably enchanted the building to teleport them out after we freed them from their Utsusemi's possession." Sae answered.

Taking a deep breath, Tobio dispelled his scythe.

"You two did great!" Sae cheered, clapping her hands.

"Despite you didn't fight, you didn't hesitate to stand in the battlefield. You've got guts at the very least." Kouki chuckled, indirectly praising her.

Sae rubbed her arm, a slightly somber look on her face.

"No, it's just that I know what our classmates are going through right now was a lot worse than me thinking I was the only of the survivor who actually went on the trip. It doesn't feel right for me to sit out of everything." She replied.

"Being terrified of something beyond what you see here and not running away is reason enough for someone to say you're brave." Kouki remarked while crossing his arms.

Walking ahead, the duo noticed one last flight of stairs to the tip of the department.

"Come on. I have a lead, and if it's right? Well... we might be able to end things right here." Kouki stated, pointing to it with his thumb.

Tobio's eyes widened, and quickly nodded his head.

"Alright then." Tobio quickly agreed.

"I hope you're right." Sae breathed.

* * *

The trio rushed up towards the peak of the department store, with Jin and Kyuuki following close behind. After a long run, they finally reached a business room, where they saw something they didn't expect... a man in his 20s, wearing a business suit.

"Kouki, this is..." Tobio asked.

"A high-ranking figure in this whole scheme, if not the mastermind behind its entirety." Kouki glared.

The man chuckled as he turned to the two.

"Fascinating, so I'm to guess you three are responsible for the massive loss of Utsusemi we've noticed as of recently?" The man inquired.

Seeing the three glaring at him, he looked at them with a smirk.

"To answer the punk's question, I do have a large role in this whole mess. My name is Kazuhisa Doumon, and I'm one of the people participating in the Five Fiends Project." Kazuhisa greeted, giving the trio a mock bow.

'Five Fiends? What's he talking about?' Tobio thought.

Seeing Tobio's expression, he gave a sinister laugh in response.

"It seems you truly don't know, but in any case... I'm afraid I'll have to ask for you three to come with me. Your tiger, and your dog... I'm sure they're both among the five creatures we need, as it whatever the girl may possess." Kazuhisa stated.

Sae gulped at that.

With a snap of Kazuhisa's fingers, the two saw a sudden amount of Utsusemi surround them. Unlike before, there were too many for them to fully count, but the number had to have exceeded the 20 they had just recently fought.

"If you need these Sacred Gears and not all the Second-Years, then why bother keeping our classmates? Why don't you give back my friend Maeda Nobushige as compensation for considering your offer!?" Kouki furiously demanded.

"Ah, yes... one of the few we gave a Utsusemi." Kazuhisa recalled.

Kouki growled angrily, and Tobio recalled there was a certain someone that was part of Kouki's gang of delinquents. That must have been the Maeda he was referring to.

"Sorry, but I can't guarantee you'll come willingly if I do that. I'm afraid he'll stay with us, and we'll bring you both in, by pure... painful... force." Kazuhisa replied, snapping his fingers.

The Utsusemi all prepared to lunge at the two... only for Kazuhisa to suddenly hear something shake underneath him.

At that moment, he jumped back as the floor where he stood shattered apart, showing the Absolute Demise with Natsume and Lavinia warping into the room through a magic circle. Konton's wings shot energy towards Natsume, giving her partner access to her twin handguns.

"What took you two so long?" Tobio joked with a smile.

"Sorry, we got a little annoyed with fighting them and I couldn't risk freezing the entire building without hurting the students." Lavinia giggled.

"Wait... what?" Kouki questioned.

Kazuhisa stared at the scene, recognizing the Longinus that the icy magician possessed.

"So, it seems that four of you with Sacred Gears are here, rather than just three. Not to mention the fabled Magicians known as the Demise Girl and the Ice Princess who wields one of the Longinus... I should be honored." Kazuhisa remarked with interest.

Taking out some talismans from his pocket, all of which possessed magical characters, everyone stood guard as he tossed them to the ground. In response, a magic circle shaped like a pentagram appeared, with a turtle symbol inside of it.

"Now, I believe it's time I throw my own weapons onto the table." He declared, a smug smirk on his face.

" ** _That which is born out of the ocean, whose spirit was cast out of rain, by means of water purified... hasten forth before me!_** "

Watery images formed from the circle, soon summoning a mass of ice formed into the shape of three-meter tall Golem.

"Did he just create a Golem out of thin air!?" Sae gasped.

"Now attack, my lovely clay doll!" Kazuhisa ordered.

The ice Golem sent out a large punch, causing the air to vibrate from the force and fling everyone back. Kouki jumped back to take some distance, and then immediately thrust his lance forward... only for it to do nothing as the ice Golem's body simply melted to evade, and then reformed itself.

"Damn it!" Kouki shouted.

Natsume blasted a flurry of wind blades at the ice Golem, scattering its icy body... until it melted, and quickly reformed its broken structure. She gasped at her attack doing nothing, leaving her unguarded as it retaliated with an arm spin attack, forcing Lavinia to push her to the ground.

"Jin!" Tobio shouted.

The wolf pup barked at Tobio's call, and had its shadows rush to stab through the ice Golem's center... which didn't seem to do anything.

"As it would seem my doll is too strong for you. Now, we shall finish-" Kazuhisa smirked.

A sudden crack was heard, catching Kazuhisa by surprise as Jin kept pushing, which seemed to be damaging the clay doll. Before it could succeed, it smashed Jin with both of its arms, sending the puppy tumbling.

"Did you see that? Jin's attack managed to actually hurt it!" Sae said in awe.

'That's impossible, how did it damage my ice Golem? That shouldn't be possible unless it took a blow from Toukotsu's sand or another member of the Doumon Clan!' Kazuhisa panicked.

Realizing he may need more aid, he instantly formed another magic circle, making everyone gasp.

"You've got to be kidding me! Just how many of these things does he have!?" Natsume complained.

"Enough to deal with you." Kazuhisa smirked.

"How about me!?" An elderly male voice inquired.

A storm of golden metal smashed through the walls, showing the sight of a small Golden Dragon flying next to Vali, surprising the four Ryoukuu High students as their jaws dropped, while Kazuhisa's eyes widened.

"The Gigantis Dragon, otherwise known as the Dragon King: Fafnir!? This is impossible! Your resurrection cycle shouldn't be finished for another five years!" He screamed.

"Blame the Norse Pantheon for their impatience! Right now, I'm Vali's familiar for the time being!" Fafnir chuckled, his elderly voice not matching his young appearance.

Everyone looked at Lavinia in confusion.

"Dragons only die if you can destroy their souls and will eventually regenerate their bodies, with stronger Dragons taking less time. Fafnir here is tiny because he had 50 years and was forced to regenerate on the 40th." She explained.

It still made no sense, but the group figured it was because she had to give them the rushed version for now.

Vali held out her hand, creating twilight energy in her hands and making Kazuhisa gasp as he realized her identity from the sight of it alone.

" **Ethereal Twilight!** "

The twilight energy launched out of her pam, razing through the Ice Golem and completely vaporizing it. The magic circle making the second one was also smashed apart from the force of it.

"I can't believe the current Hakuryuukou is a member of the Lucifer Clan!" He shouted.

"Just in time, Vali." Lavinia smiled.

Kazuhisa gritted his teeth, with everyone readying their weapons as Vali and Fafnir blocked off the area behind him.

"You've been cornered, now give back all the students you took and take responsibility for causing a scene in the Human world when you know why the supernatural and human worlds are still meant to be kept apart!" Lavinia ordered, preparing a spell.

"It's you guys who are at fault for not having participated on the school trip! Due to that, we had no choice other than to resort to a Plan B!" Kazuhisa retorted.

"You're heartless! I'm surprised God hasn't cast already cast his judgment on you, because you're just a piece of scum that should die!" Vali screamed angrily.

Hearing that, Kazuhisa suddenly laughed, getting everyone's attention as they wondered what he found so funny.

"I guess you don't know, just as I will never know if God would do what you said. After all, how can he when during the Great War... he and Lucifer were killed?" Kazuhisa announced, revealing information he shouldn't have known.

That made everyone's eyes widen in shock, unable to believe what they just heard. However, for the great-granddaughter of the Devil King, the impact hit harder. Vali began to literally shake as that line echoed in her head.

"N-no, it... it can't be... Grandpa Lucifer, and Grandma Lilith, I was... supposed to... you're lying!" Vali stuttered.

She immediately fainted.

"Vali!?" Sae shouted worriedly.

"It's a natural reaction... I'd be surprised if any normal Devil could simply shrug off such a horrible revelation." Lavinia replied, still feeling her eyes shake.

Kazuhisa chuckled before using the chance to create five more of his ice golems. As they stood before the remaining five members of the group, he began giving a sadistic laugh at how easily his words turned the tables.

"Deny it all you want! That's the truth, and therefore you can't condone my actions as evil!" Kazuhisa laughed.

Tobio gritted his teeth at that, suddenly causing a strong aura to form around him, with the same happening to Jin.

Everyone suddenly turned to attention to Tobio as this happened, with even Kazuhisa unaware of the reason behind his sudden glow. Looking straight at him with a face full of rage, Tobio began to growl at him.

"You monster, how many people do you have to hurt before you're satisfied? Just how much tragedy will you create!?" Tobio questioned.

"Tobio?" Sae blinked, feeling strange before his aura.

"No more. If you choose to continue treating human lives as trash... _then I'll erase you from this world!_ " He screamed loudly.

Howling in response to his scream, Jin's body began to transform in a mass of shadows. Feeling the dark energy flowing in the room, Vali suddenly regained consciousness before gasping at the sight before her.

"W-what?" Kazuhisa stuttered in a panic.

The mass of darkness soon burst apart as one final howl went off, revealing Jin was no longer a wolf pup, but a full-grown wolf with six tails and his red eyes shining enough to radiate a noticeable glow!

Lavinia eyes widened in response, while Albion went speechless.

"The Canis Lykaon... because of the intensity of Tobio's emotions, it's managed to regain its true form!" She exclaimed.

"No way... that isn't one of the Five Fiends?" Kazuhisa said quietly, feeling terror ensnare his heart and mind.

At that moment, Jin's eyes looked at him.

 **«"Prepare yourself for the end, Kazuhisa Doumon!"»** Jin declared, revealing his voice for the first time.

* * *

Standing in a certain area of the Himejima Clan's territory, one could see Suzaku Himejima looking at the sky, sitting on the ground as she waited for someone. Eventually, her guest finally walked into the area.

"Hey." A female voice greeted.

Turning around, Suzaku's gaze was met with a girl with long brown hair tied up in a ponytail by a blue ribbon. She emitted a similar aura to Suzaku's, but where hers was like a fiery blaze, this girl's aura was like the winds of a serene forest.

"Seiryuu Kushihashi, glad you came so quickly." Suzaku greeted.

"It didn't take too long, Susanoo visited my clan before he came to yours... though I doubt the result wasn't any less brutal. That's one God you should never dare to intentionally anger." Seiryuu replied.

Both of them shivered at the evidence they witnessed only a short while ago.

"So, are you really going through with this? I have nothing against it, but... there's no guarantee the new heads of the Shinra, Doumon, and Nakiri Clans will think the same way as us." She questioned.

Suzaku nodded her head, looking to the sky.

"I'm sure of it, and it's too late to change my mind, as I've already asked Susanoo to gather them here." Suzaku replied.

"True, you can't walk away from a challenge you start yourself." Seiryuu agreed.

Suzaku looked at the sky, closing her eyes as an image of Akeno appeared in the sky, followed by another that showed Tobio's.

"This cycle must end with us." Suzaku promised herself.

* * *

**That's right Kazuhisa, Jin has been fully awakened! Prepare to face the true power of the Canis Lykaon in the next chapter! As for Vali... poor girl doesn't catch a break at this point in the "Heavenly Dragons" timeline. She was hoping to finally know the love of a father through Lucifer and Lilith adopting her, and now she's learned the former has been dead for the last 2000 years. The poor girl will really need a hug after this fight ends.**

**Now, for anyone who has questions about this? In canon, Fafnir was said to have been resurrected at some point, and while only the Evil Dragons have shown confirmation they can revive themselves (or a few like Nidhoggr, Azi Dahaka, and Apophis have), I like the idea that any Dragon can do this because of Fafnir's situation. The event itself I can't say due to spoilers, but Fafnir was killed in the 1960's in-story.**

**As Lavinia implies, this had downsides to it, as not only did Fafnir get stuck in this mini-size... he still can't use his full power either. Good news is that means Fafnir won't be able to overpower everyone in his way, as Vali is currently stronger than him. Not only that, but he may not even show up that much, and _not_ because I'll just forget about him.**

**I've also expanded on Magicians more, as there are times I see Lavinia described as a Witch for some reason I don't get (aside from how her outfit looks), especially since Walburga looks like a better fit for that. As such, they're a sub-species of Humans who are heavily linked to the magic they learned, and Witches are the result of those who let their greed get the better of them.**

**Get ready, because next chapter is where this story's first arc will finally come to an end, and where we'll see a grand battle between the Slash/Dog team, and whatever it is that Kazuhisa will throw at them next. You might just be surprised what that something is. Not to mention, there will be an even greater surprise in the next chapter related to Sae, one that I'm sure no one will see coming.**

**Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^**

* * *

** Bust Size of New Female Characters ** **:**

**Suzaku Himejima - 102 cm**

**Seiryuu Kushihashi - 105 cm**

* * *

** Brief Summaries of Abilities/Equipment/Terms in Today's Chapter ** **:**

**None**

* * *

** Pairings List ** **:**

**Tobio/Sae - Dating**  
Azazel/Penemue - Married  
Albion/Fafnir - Married


	4. Chapter 4

**Welcome back everyone, because today's the final chapter of the first arc, and you're about to see a twist unlike any other, because it's one that I claimed in last chapter's end notes to be something that I'm sure no one would be able to guess. You might get it once it shows up, but I doubt anyone's actually thought about this in advance, especially since I've left direct no hints to it. *giggles***

**Last chapter, Kazuhisa just followed the standard mistake most villains seem to make, pissing off the protagonist enough that they either unlock a new power or their rage shatters the very thing that was making everything they did useless until then. Now that he's stepped on that landmine, he has to deal with the Canis Lykaon's true power, but is he really screwed?**

**The guy was pretty prepared, so maybe he's hiding another ace... after all, with so many Utsusemi and that ability to create Golems of ice, maybe he's got a backup to get himself out of this for the time being. Regardless of how, this chapter's going to be the first real fight the Slash/Dog team has as a group, since all their fights so far have had them separated from each other or had just a single member fighting.**

**Also, here's another thing you'll like about this chapter. I'm finally going to reveal what the true names of Natsume and Kouki's Sacred Gears are. That's the one thing about the new SLASHDOG I love, since there's the chance that Ishibumi might reveal their canon names to us at some point. Regardless, I think my versions of them will have some fairly interesting names, so without further ado...**

**Time for Tobio and Jin to bear their fangs at this scumbag!**

* * *

**()** \- Albion Talking

 **«»** \- Consciousness of any other Sacred Gear Talking

〖〗 - Voice Speaking through a Magic Circle

 **「」** \- Insert Song Beginning, or Ending

 **【】** \- Voice made by an Announcement, or through an Announcer

 **⟨⟩** \- Custom Spell's Aria Chant

『』 - Electrical Voice or Machine Speaking

* * *

** Hexennacht **

**A group that opposes the Magician Guild, being an entire faction of Witches due to their shared disregard for the restraint Magicians have for magic, and their own selfishness at using it for their own gain. In the present, it's even believed they comprise a majority of, it not the whole entirety, of the Khaos Brigade's deceivingly named Magician Faction.**

**The leader of the group is Walburga, the strongest Witch in the world, and for some reason that none of the other supernatural races can understand (as well as Walburga's seething ire), is collectively called an old hag by the entirety of the Demon race despite her appearance looking to be in her 20's. The only clue to this is that it somehow ties to Demon Queen Cassiel.**

**Hexennacht was originally a very small group, but after Walburga stole the Incinerate Anthem from Walburga, her influence has grown enough that it's become an incredibly large and dangerous force that the Mephisto Pheles and the Magicians of the Magician Guild have to deal with fairly often, only having any success in keeping them in check through Lavinia, who is the strongest Magician in their ranks.**

**Lavinia's ultimate goal is to ultimately cause the group's destruction, as most Factions agree that eliminating the Witches is considered a necessary evil.**

* * *

**_ Chapter 4, Rise of the Utsusemi Arc: Fiendish Revelations _ **

Kazuhisa sweated a bit, looking at the Longinus staring before him as he grabbed talisman he still had.

"So, what if you awakened a Longinus? A newly awakened wielder won't be enough to command its full power against my Golems!" Kazuhisa shouted in denial.

He tossed them all forward, creating dozens of Ice Golems that charged at Jin.

 **«"That's what you think!"»** Jin retorted.

"Do it now Jin!" Tobio ordered.

The Longinus Wolf howled, creating a small whirlpool of darkness around him.

**«"ABYSS!"»**

The dark shadows spread across the floor and began swallowing the Golems which slowly dissolve, but were truly finished by shadowy blades that jutted out from the dark pool. The darkness disappeared once they were all devoured, leaving most of the group speechless.

Kazuhisa couldn't believe his eyes. But, how could he? Had he been aware of the true nature of the Canis Lykaon, he would know that Tobio didn't actually need to be used to his power, because he just had to command it through Jin if he preferred it.

"What is this? Blades from shadows? Countless numbers of swords? How can this be!?" The man said with a shaken voice.

Jin's red eyes glowed as it glared at him, leaving Kazuhisa in a panic.

『"Kazuhisa, retreat from there immediately! You can't win in this situation."』 A male voice warned.

"Section Chief Himejima?" Kazuhisa said in surprise.

Upon hearing that name, Tobio's eyes raised a bit, feeling he had heard that name somewhere before... question was where _had_ he heard it?

"How do I do that? These kids won't give me the time to do so!" Kazuhisa inquired.

『"Bring out the first prototype of our advanced forces to delay them, call upon the Cowardly Leo."』 He ordered.

Kazuhisa smirked, forming a magic circle to summon a certain talisman to his hand.

"No, you're not getting away!" Tobio shouted.

Jin lunged at Kazuhisa, his shadowy blades ready to slice at him, right as a black talisman with the symbol for the Utsusemi's link circle etched in the center. Tossing it at the ground, a black light formed and knocked him back.

"Jin!" Tobio shouted.

Kazuhisa laughed as he suddenly walked backwards until he fell out of the building, soon gliding away with origami wings.

"That bastard!" Kouki roared.

"Uh, guys? Just what kind of Utsusemi did he just unleash on us?" Sae asked.

Everyone quickly looked to the magic circle, and then felt the entire building shake, finally losing all support from the damage it had taken, and the summon shaking the last legs of the foundation.

"Get outside, right now!" Lavinia warned.

Jin quickly rushed at Tobio and Sae before pulling them into his shadows and leaping towards to the ground. Vali grabbed Kouki and Natsume before flapping all 12 of her wings, while Konton grabbed Kyuuki, and Lavinia simply teleported through a magic circle.

They made it just in time as the building became rubble, and from the top of it came a new Utsusemi, larger than any other before it. Its entire body was a sickly yellow/black mix, topped with Oni-like horns of a sickly purple/orange. Finally, it had the same symbol as the unique talisman on it (most likely being the Utsusemi symbol) as its single eye, and red teeth that gave off a dark glow.

"T-that's an Utsusemi!?" Vali trembled.

Lavinia looked at it, and noticed something about this Utsusemi didn't match the others they had faced up until now... which is when she realized how it was summoned despite the heavy risk of the department store collapsing into the rubble it now was.

"Guys, this Utsusemi... I don't think it has a host linked to it!" She warned, a worried expression on her face.

"What do you mean?" Natsume asked.

"Exactly as it sounds. This Utsusemi was summoned despite the risk to the building, yet every Utsusemi we've faced before this one relied on a host to exist. Wouldn't the building collapsing on itself have likely killed its host?" Lavinia explained.

Hearing that, it didn't take long for everyone to make the connection, and realize a horrible truth in response to it.

"They don't even need our captured classmates anymore..." Sae realized.

"Worse... if they can make Utsusemi without host, it means their forces aren't limited anymore. No longer are we limited to a force of 200." Tobio added.

The Cowardly Leo roared, charging at the group.

" **Ethereal Twilight!** "

Vali fired off her twilight energy at the Cowardly Leo, which simply roared as it charged through it!

"Uh oh..." Vali panicked.

"Scatter!" Natsume shouted.

Everyone did just that, with Lavinia instantly forming a magical barrier to keep anyone from noticing their battle. The Cowardly Leo turned to Natsume, who was closest to it, and stretched its arm out. She screamed as it hit her, launching her into the nearby wall.

"Bastard!" Kouki roared.

He tossed Kyuuki's spear at the beast, but it quickly spun around, swiping it away with its tail.

" **Ice Age!** "

**«"FREEZE!"»**

Lavinia unleashed a powerful blizzard, but the Cowardly Leo simply opened its mouth, roaring out a vertical energy wave that smashed through it. She instantly formed a magic circle, changing her location.

"Vali, it's too strong for us to fight! You'll need to weaken it!" Lavinia shouted.

"No good! Without my Balance Breaker, I can't use Divide unless I'm touching my target, and I don't think that's a good idea right now!" Vali replied.

The icy magician sweated at that, unsure of what they could do.

"Jin, take that beast down!" Tobio ordered.

 **«"On it!"»** He replied.

Howling as he dove into the shadows, Jin jumped out with the shadowy scythe in his mouth and slashed the Cowardly Leo's leg with incredible speed. While it heavily damaged the beast, it quickly regained its ground.

Before Jin could even react, the Utsusemi slammed its horns into the wolf-like Sacred Gear, making him whimper before he disappeared in a puff of darkness.

"Jin!?" Tobio shouted in horror.

"W-what happened?" Sae asked.

"That attack did too much damage to Jin, he won't be able to recover until Tobio can provide enough power to reform or enough time passes for him to recover naturally." Lavinia revealed.

Knowing that she had to give Tobio the opening to do just that, Lavinia's eyes glowed as prepared to re-summon her Longinus Avatar.

Unfortunately, the Cowardly Leo noticed this and instantly slammed its claws where the magic circle formed, which completely shattered the circle in an instant! Lavinia screamed as she fell back, getting Vali's attention and horror.

"What the!? That's not supposed to happen! Breaking a magic circle doesn't cause that kind of backlash!" She panicked, a worried look on her face.

"Does that mean the Utsusemi can somehow attack you from a magic circle?" Fafnir questioned.

The Utsusemi soon lunged forward at Tobio, but then suddenly disappeared. This instantly got everyone's attention, realizing it could pop up anywhere for an attack when they least expect it, with Sae especially being worried.

Her worries would soon show they were justified when the Cowardly Leo formed behind her, making her eyes widen as she turned.

"Look out!" Vali screamed, diving at her.

The Hakuryuukou charged right at the beast, and caused the Cowardly Leo to tumble.

Unfortunately, only seconds after she did so, she realized the error of her action when the tumbling Utsusemi's horns neared Sae... preparing to pierce right through her.

"SAE!" Tobio screamed, rushing in vain to reach his girlfriend.

Moments after his voice echoed out, the horn managed to make contact... right as the beads glowed, and threw the two in opposite ways as if they were both a pair of magnets that just repelled each other.

"I couldn't save her... I couldn't save her..." Vali repeated, her breathing getting unsteady.

 **("Vali, calm down! Don't lose control of your emotions! If you do, you'll know what'll happen!")** Albion warned.

Albion's words quickly went on death ears, and she screamed out a panic attack. Natsume, who had just regained her bearings, and Kouki both watched as her Divine Dividing was about to release something from its gem, only for Lavinia to teleport behind her.

"I'm sorry, Vali." Lavinia apologized.

The blonde Magician instantly struck her in the back, making her eyes dilate before she passed out into the blonde magician's arms. The lights retreat back into the gauntlet, showing she had averted the crisis.

"What just happened?" Kouki asked.

"She was about to use a power that would have killed us all if I hadn't stopped her." Lavinia explained, giving a look saying she'd fully explain it later.

Rushing over to Sae's side, Tobio helped her up.

"Tobio... how bad is it?" She asked, afraid to open her eyes and see her wound.

"You're... not even wounded." He answered.

Upon hearing that, she widened her eyes as she looked at her stomach, noticing she only had a torn spot on her outfit. There was no sign of any wounds, making her look to see the beads on her wrist glowing.

"Did they... shield me?" She questioned, seeing their glow fade.

Placing his hand on her wrist, Tobio's eyes closed as he gave a slightly teary smile in response.

"Grandma, you protected Sae... again." He whispered, thanking her for the miracle they gave him.

Realizing that Sae wasn't dying, and it hadn't gone against its orders to avoid killing the Ryoukuu High survivors, the Cowardly Leo lunged at the two. This immediately got Fafnir's attention, making him roar to get Sae and Tobio's focus.

"Huh?" Tobio blinked.

"Look out, the Utsusemi's heading right for you!" Fafnir warned.

Both of them saw the Utsusemi hovering right over them, and as it got closer, Sae felt an odd feeling build up within her.

'Nothing... all I've done is nothing! All I'm doing is letting Tobio worry about me, he's protecting me when I can't even protect him or myself!' She thought, tightening her left hand.

Closing her eyes, Sae suddenly screamed at the top of her lungs, making a bright light form that caused the Utsusemi to suddenly pause in place.

"Sae!?" Lavinia shouted in surprise.

"No more... I don't want to feel like a burden anymore, I want to stand and fight by his Tobio's side!" She screamed.

**「** **Fairy Tail: Believe in Myself - Instrumental** **」**

At that moment, the light she was emitted launched forward, immediately throwing the Cowardly Leo across the landscape as everyone stared at it in shock. Upon opening her eyes, Sae gasped at the sight.

"Sae, what did you just do?" Tobio asked.

"wait... I did that?" She asked in surprise.

 **«"The time has come, now I shall protect you and those you hold dear!"»** A female voice exclaimed.

Everyone soon saw the light gather into one spot, and once it did?

Standing before the duo appeared a creature similar to Jin, but this one with white with any red spots being a light blue, two Nekomata tails, and having a few more feline features. It was also female based on a few of its features.

"Are you... a Sacred Gear?" Sae asked, unable to believe what she was seeing.

The white lynx nodded her head.

 **«"I am the Lyncis Auluraon, a Sacred Gear you birthed from the desire to stand by Tobio's side, and my gratitude for giving my soul a way to live on all those years ago."»** The Lynx answered.

"I... what?" Sae blinked.

The lynx laughed a bit, making Sae even more confused.

 **«"I'll explain latter, but for now? You may call me Hibiki."»** She replied, growling at the Utsusemi after she did.

Sae paused for a bit, then nodded her head.

"Alright then. Hibiki, let's make our first battle one to remember!" Sae exclaimed, deciding her name.

 **«"I wouldn't give anything less!"»** Hibiki replied.

She turned around to face her partner, releasing a beam from her forehead marking that took the shape of white shrine staff with talismans made of baby blue light.

"Huh?" Sae blinked.

 **«"You'll understand when I can explain better. For now, just trust your instincts and you'll know how to use it."»** Hibiki reassured her.

Sae looked nervous, but Tobio put a hand on her shoulder.

"I knew how to use my scythe when I first picked it up, don't doubt yourself." Tobio encouraged her.

"Tobio..." She breathed.

Right at that moment, she nodded her head and looked at the Cowardly Leo as it charged at them again.

Sae readied herself, and in an attempt to move forward, she somehow turned into light particles and went past the Utsusemi, confusing both it and herself in the process. Looking at her staff, she saw it was emitting the light.

"I have light powers?" Sae realized.

The Cowardly Leo turned around to charge at Sae, only for Hibiki shoot forward as a laser, smashing against the beast's defenseless backside. The Utsusemi roared in pain, and its body began to... destabilize!

"It's tail!" Sae realized.

"Everyone, its tail is the weak spot!" Tobio alerted the others.

Kouki and Natsume nodded their heads, rushing to help the two, leaving Lavinia and Fafnir to watch the unconscious Vali.

"Time to make some noise!" Natsume shouted.

The Cowardly Leo saw her charge and instantly stretched its claws at her again, but this time Natsume rolled onto the ground as she blasted her handguns, flipping overhead of the beast as she landed behind it.

"Heads up Kouki, because here comes the toss!" Natsume shouted.

"The what?" He replied in confusion.

Natsume turned around and blasting it from below its legs, sending it into the sky... leaving its tail vulnerable!

"Oh, a literal toss!" Kouki realized.

He shouted as he thrust his spear at the beast's back end. The lightning discharged heavily, and when the Cowardly Leo began to fall back down?

*CRACK*

*SHATTER*

*BREAK*

The two cracks signaled the left horn on the Utsusemi breaking, which caused its body to start leaking off mist and destabilize even more. Everyone got noticed of this and quickly realized what it must have meant.

"Of course, those horns are what's keeping its body stable!" Tobio realized.

Struggling to move, the Cowardly Leo slowly walked towards the quartet and gave a weaker roar, leaving all of them to look at Sae.

"Hmm?" She blinked.

"Finish it off Sae, you're the only one who hasn't had that chance." Tobio offered.

"Really?" She replied in shock.

Natsume nodded her head while Kouki just shrugged his shoulders.

"OK... hope this works!" Sae replied.

Hibiki and Sae both rushed ahead, disappearing as light before reforming in front of the Utsusemi.

The Cowardly Leo prepared to unleash a roar, but Sae closed her eyes as she grabbed the staff a certain way, then pulled on it to create a storm of Hinotama around her.

 **«"Whoa!"»** Yama-Uba exclaimed in awe.

"This ends now!" Sae shouted, thrusting her arms forward at top speed.

Hibiki unleashed a loud wailing scream from her throat before charging ahead, gathering the Hinotama around her as she became like a comet. Only moments after accelerating... the Lyncis Auluraon immediately cut off its tail!

In just moments, the Cowardly Leo began to roar in pain as its body suddenly began shaking apart, finally ending as its second horn broke off and it shattered into glass.

**「** **Insert Song End** **」**

Everyone collapsed on their legs, with Sae outright falling forward from the fatigue.

"We're done here, right?" Sae asked, lifting her head up.

"Yeah, we're done here." Lavinia smiled with pride.

Whoever made these Utsusemi? Today, they won not once, not twice, but three times over against their efforts to take down the Slash/Dog Team.

* * *

Back at the hideout, light finally went back into Vali's eyes as she regained consciousness, seeing Lavinia and Sae standing over her.

"H-huh? Where..." Vali blinked, trying to reboot her mind.

Eventually, she gasped upon seeing Sae, alive.

"You're alive... you're alive!" Vali sniffled, tears forming in her eyes as she hugged her.

Sae blushed at the sudden gesture.

"Whoa... calm down Vali, nothing bad happened. I didn't even get injured." She reassured her, lifting her shirt up.

Vali's eyes widened as she saw no scarring or wound at all.

"How is that possible? I... I saw you get... that Utsusemi's horn-" Vali questioned in confusion.

"It's OK, nothing-" Sae replied.

"No, it's not OK!" Vali lashed out.

Sae backed away, while Lavinia gave a worried look. The others all gave similar surprise to her outburst.

"Never again... I can't let that happen ever again..." Vali whimpered.

Lavinia hugged her closer, rubbing her back as she sniffled a bit and looked at the others, shaking her head as her way of saying to drop any attempts to verbally comfort her.

It was clear that right now, Vali needed a more physical touch before she would feel better.

'What happened to me must have reminded her about what happened with her mom.' Sae realized, having a guilty look on her face.

"I'm new here, so anyone gonna give me the 411 about this?" Kouki asked.

Tobio moved near his ear and whispered everything, slowly making Kouki's face go into a frown, then one of concern, before his eyes widened in horror at the entirety of her story.

"Whoa... I regret asking that now." He breathed.

At that moment, Hibiki walked up to Vali, putting a paw on her shoulder to everyone's confusion.

"Huh?" Vali blinked, looking at the Lynx.

 **«"I told you before, Vali. I never blamed or hated you for that day. I know you were forced to do it, because your tears can't lie."»** Hibiki comforted her.

Upon hearing that, Vali suddenly gasped as she saw the image of a white-haired Nekoshou, who resembled certain Rook of Gremory, in Hibiki's face.

"No way, it... it can't be, you're..." Vali realized.

Backing up a bit, Hibiki closed her eyes before she started glowing, making everyone gasp as she took a humanoid form, one that kept her cat ears and two cat tails. Vali's eyes shook as her remaining doubts.

"Fujimai..." She breathed.

"Fujimai?" Everyone repeated, wondering why she called Hibiki by the name.

Lavinia took a moment before she gasped.

"There should only be two Nekoshou's left in the world, both of which are currently under the protection of the Naberius Clan... ever since Vali's grandfather made her kill-" She realized.

Hibiki/Fujimai nodded her head, looking at the blonde Magician.

"I am their mother, and while Vali was forced to kill me, Rizevim failed to realize that he wasn't as thorough as he thought." She confirmed.

"And the reason she called you Fujimai?" Natsume asked.

"That's just my work name that I used for safety precautions, Hibiki's my real name." Hibiki clarified.

Vali breathed a bit, holding her head.

"But... how? And how did you become a Sacred Gear?" She questioned.

"Well, back when Sae was very young, she and her mother came to Kyoto because her mother wanted her to know where her father came from. While she was there, she walked near the area I was killed, and a lingering bit of my life energy managed to find shelter in her." Hibiki explained.

Hibiki giggled, looking at her confused partner.

"Uh... I've never seen that before. I get you Youkai are astral life forms and your affinity for Chi could explain the lingering, but how was Sae able to basically save your life in a sense?" Lavinia questioned, scratching her head.

"You're right, this isn't a normal thing for us. To be precise... it only worked because Sae's father was my older brother." Hibiki revealed.

Sae's eyes widened at that, while everyone else felt their faces freeze in shock.

 **("Didn't see that coming.")** Albion remarked, still calm due to all of the crazy things she's already seen.

Noticing Sae was still stuck from the shock, Tobio patted her back.

"But... if my father was your brother, then... you're my Aunt?" She realized, point at her.

Hibiki nodded her head.

Covering her mouth, Sae felt her eyes water before she hugged her.

"You have your father's hair and your mother's eyes. I'm sure if my brother was still alive, he'd be proud at what a beautiful young lady you've become." Hibiki smiled, rubbing her back.

"Wait, but Sae's a normal Human girl. How can her father be a Nekoshou?" Tobio asked.

"It's because of how Youkai genetics work. They're beings with astral forms compared to our physical ones, so a child between a Youkai and other species will have the child inherit their mother's race. Sae's mother was a normal human, meaning she was born with one." Lavinia explained.

"She got things like hair color, eye color, and etc. from her father. Although she also inherited a stronger capability to use Chi, Senjutsu, and Touki from him power wise." Hibiki added.

Kouki just shrugged his shoulders.

"Considering how you told me you named this group, I'm, not going to question this." He stated.

Hibiki looked at Lavinia, who was sure of what she'd ask her.

"Yes, both of your daughters are alright. Though that's as much as I can gather even with my position in the Magician Guild." She confirmed.

"Thank goodness." The Nekoshou mother sighed in relief, unaware of what Kuroka's current situation was.

She morphed back into her Sacred Gear form, and walked near Sae's side, who smiled as she scratched behind her ear. Right at that moment, Kouki looked at Lavinia, coughing as he pointed to Vali.

"Huh? What are you doing?" The great granddaughter of Lucifer asked, blinking in confusion.

"Oh, you mean why I knocked Vali out." Lavinia realized.

Upon hearing that, Vali covered her mouth in horror as she remembered what she was feeling when she thought Sae was fatally injured.

"Her Longinus... has a curse in it. Despite the fact Albion and Ddraig are mates, their first possessors took their battle too far, and left behind a stain that birthed their eternal conflict. When negative emotions overwhelm the user, this power manifest as a dangerous transformation called the Juggernaut Drive, giving them their Dragon's full power... at the cost of their sanity and life force." Lavinia explained.

It didn't take long for everyone to imagine Ryoukuu Town exploding like it was struck by an Atomic Bomb.

"My predecessors even live within the Divine Dividing, in the form of the blue orbs you might of scene, and would have _encouraged_ me to transform. Lavinia saved all of our lives today by knocking me out when she did." Vali shivered.

"Do any of the other Longinus have something like this?" Tobio asked, looking at Jin and Lavinia worriedly.

"Not at the same threat level. The closest is the Regulus Nemea's Breakdown the Beast, and all that does is make one more enraged at the cost of stamina." Lavinia reassured her.

Tobio wiped his forehead, sighing in relief.

"Out of curiosity. If she had used it, how long would she have left to live?" Kouki asked.

Lavinia scratched her cheek, taking a moment to think.

"Hard to give you an exact answer that. See, all supernatural races and the minority of Humans who can access the magical power they possess are basically ageless, eternally youthful that grow until they hit maturity. For those who fall to the Juggernaut Drive, that's bypassed due to the damage, and my best estimate for just a short period of use would have her life limited to... about a century." She answered.

"That's long to normal Humans, who have an average lifespan of 70-80 years, but what about supernatural races?" Natsume asked.

 **("Most examples I'm familiar with are five-digit numbers.")** Albion mentioned.

Everyone flinched at that, their eyes having gone white in shock... except Natsume, who smiled due to realizing she'd never have to worry about wrinkles.

"Wow, a century is definitely short compared to ten thousand years." Sae remarked.

"And that's not all. For Vali here, if her friend is meant to be the enemy such a curse will make her fight..." Tobio realized.

Lavinia nodded, noticing the Hakuryuukou making face of refusal.

"I'll never fight him... that's why I'm even on this training journey. Not so I'll be strong enough to face him... but so I can keep him safe. Despite all I've suffered... despite all of the blood my hands will forever be stained with... Issei saved my life and gave me hope, so I'll defy fate to my last breath." She stated, emphasizing her resolve.

Kouki looked at her, then started to clap his hands to Vali's surprise.

"You're a strong kid, and one that's earned my respect." He smirked, giving his approval.

"Yeah, I bet your friend is what Sae was for me. A glimmer of light in what seems like an endless pool of darkness." Tobio agreed.

"T-Tobio..." Sae blushed, smiling at the compliment.

Hearing that, Vali sniffled a bit before rubbing her eyes and standing up, her cheery mood restored.

"I'm gonna make us a victory feast!" She exclaimed.

Vali rushed into the kitchen, making everyone sigh in relief as they sat down.

"Glad she's feeling better." Tobio smiled.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean she won't still feel sad if that man's claims weren't false." Lavinia sighed.

Tobio nodded his head.

"I can definitely relate to that..." Sae replied.

At that moment, the door suddenly opened up, making everyone turn as they saw someone walk in. Tobio's eyes widened as he saw Penemue for the first time a decade, and not looking a day older.

"Hey everyone, I'm back!" Penemue greeted.

'Wow, Lavinia wasn't kidding.' Tobio thought.

Vali suddenly slid back into the room, and instantly ran to Penemue, hugging her tightly.

"Aunt Penemue, I've missed you!" Vali smiled.

Penemue chuckled a bit, ruffling the young Devil's hair in response and making her pout a bit as she fixed it back.

"Happy to see you too." She replied.

Looking up, Penemue smiled as her eyes met with the grown-up boy she met 10 years ago.

"Never thought you'd grow up into such a strong, handsome young man. Got a quite the cute girlfriend to boot." Penemue remarked, giving a cat-like smirk.

"Uh..." Tobio gave an awkward blush.

Vali groaned before face palming, with Penemue giggling in response, though that was quickly brushed aside as Lavinia tapped Penemue's shoulder.

"Penemue, we encountered one of the people responsible for this mess, and... he said something that we need you to confirm for Vali's sake." She said with a worried look.

The female cadre's eyes widened, already realizing what that could have meant.

"Lavinia, I hope what you're telling me isn't something about my brother and father..." She replied.

"Eh..." The blonde magician replied.

Groaning a bit, Penemue face palmed.

"How was any Human able to get such top-secret information?" Penemue questioned.

"So, that means..." Vali replied, looking sad.

Penemue sighed, closing her eyes as she hugged Vali close, making the descendant of Lucifer tear up a bit.

"We didn't know how to tell you... I'm sorry." She apologized.

She wiped Vali's tears away before looking at everyone, getting their attention as she loudly cleared her throat and looked towards them.

"By this point, most if not all of you know who I am, but since I'm here in person? My name is Penemue Amano, the sole female cadre in Grigori and wife of its Governor General." Penemue greeted, bowing a bit.

"Along with her husband, Azazel Amano, she was originally one of the Ten Great Seraphs who served God/Elohim prior to the two becoming Fallen Angels." Vali mentioned.

Hearing that, Kouki blinked a bit.

"Wait just a moment... you married your own brother?" He asked.

"Yes, but we weren't born from a mother and father, so we have no shared genetics or DNA to make it like you're probably thinking." She confirmed.

Kouki had no comment about that, and just gave a weird look at what the Fallen Angel just said.

"So, with that out of the way? Who among you all has a Sacred Gear, and what's its name if you know of it." Penemue inquired.

The Fallen Angel looked at Tobio, which told him she wanted him to start.

"O-oh! Tobio Ikuse, and I have the Canis Lykaon!" Tobio answered.

"Kouki Samejima, and that's Kyuuki." Kouki said lazily, pointing at the fiendish Tiger.

"I'm Natsume Minagawa, and Konton's my partner." Natsume revealed, holding her arm with Konton out.

"And... I'm Sae Toujou, with the Lyncis Auluraon." Sae replied.

Blinking at bit at Hibiki, Penemue took a closer look at the white Lynx copy of the Canis Lykaon, which was a new Sacred Gear that she had no knowledge of.

"Never seen this Sacred Gear before, but going by your name, I'm guessing you must be Shindo's kid." She realized.

"You knew my father?" Sae asked.

"A little, enough to know his wife and hear about his newborn daughter when I visited Kyoto for a meeting with Lady Yasaka." Penemue answered.

Having gotten all the extra stuff she needed cleared up,

Penemue was about to say what she had been waiting to share since the start... right as her stomach suddenly growled. Everyone heard her give an embarrassed laugh as Vali was now the one giggling at her.

"Guess I need to start making us that victory feast." Vali remarked.

The female cadre gave an embarrassed chuckle, looking to the side as her face gave off a slight blush.

* * *

Everyone was soon seated at the kitchen table. While everyone was enjoying the food, Kouki was being a bit stubborn, refusing to actually show that fact due to his apparent delinquency cred.

"Alright, now that I've got some food in my belly, I think it's time I share the information I gathered." Penemue suggested.

"Does that mean you found something good?" Vali asked.

Penemue nodded her head, bringing out what Susanoo had given her and showing the info inside.

"Like you've already found out by this point, Sacred Gears are special treasures made by God, only found in those who are at least part Human at birth. Among them, there are a few that have creatures sealed inside, and the important thing is that among you four, two of you have a Sacred Gear with a... certain group of creatures sealed inside of them." Penemue explained.

"Let me guess, the Five Fiends are what these creatures are called?" Tobio asked.

"Uh... yeah, but how'd you... oh wait, I'm guessing that guy mentioned it to you all when he thought you were done for?" She replied.

"Yep." Kouki confirmed.

"Did he mention anything specific though?" Penemue inquired.

"Uh... not so much." Tobio admitted.

Clearing her throat, Penemue restarted her explanation where she needed to as everyone listened.

"They're a group of five dangerous beasts from long ago, specifically a group of five unique Youkai with corrupted and darker natures to them. Along with the other three survivors, but excluding Tobio and Sae, you have the Sacred Gears that house their souls." She revealed.

'All of our Sacred Gears are linked to Youkai?' Sae thought, blinking a bit.

"Now, for what the Utsusemi Agency wants with them? Pure mayhem, all because of their origins and their fates... which, to our misfortune, is the entire reason behind this whole mess. You're aware of how Japan has many families who fight against evil spirits, like Shrine Maidens and such, right?" Penemue inquired.

"We are, the beads my grandma left me that Sae's currently wearing are something Konton said were linked to them." Tobio confirmed.

The female cadre nodded her head.

"She isn't wrong. Those beads are the real deal, though they're even more special than you think, as they were forged by members of the Himejima Clan, which must mean that your grandma was a Himejima herself." Penemue confirmed, looking at him.

Right as the Fallen Angel cadre said that, Tobio's eyes widened a bit as he recalled the name of Himejima from earlier.

" _Section Chief Himejima?_ " Kazuhisa's voice echoed.

"That guy we fought... he called the Section Chief by that name!" He exclaimed.

Penemue showed surprise by that.

"A relative of mine... responsible for all of this?" He said through gritted teeth, feeling his eyes shake with anger.

Realizing Tobio was getting overwhelmed, Sae put her hand on his shoulder, immediately making him calm down.

"Sorry... it's just-" He apologized.

"Don't be. After what he did, I'd feel enraged towards him if he was a member of my own family." Penemue reassured him, tightening her left fist a bit.

Shifting her eyes back to everyone, she continued her story.

"There are three primary forces behind the powers of the supernatural, the first being the power of one's mental energies, which draws in mana, the source behind what you call magic. This is the most common because it focuses on visualization and imagination. The kind used by exorcisms is Chi, which uses your physical energies, which is harder to draw upon. Then there's prana, which is life energy, and... well, that's hard outside the Hindu Pantheon."

"Among Japan, there are five special Clans who are all linked to shrines and stand above the rest. We call them the Five Principal Clans, and... well, I let's just say in their attempt to preserve what their ancestors' legacy, they ended up creating something worse than the beings they were supposed to keep watch over."

Tobio's eyes widened at this, starting to notice a pattern.

"Penemue, are you saying that..." He asked.

"Yes, the Utsusemi Agency's members... are all exiles from among these five clans. While their particular cases may or may have nor been fair and/or justified, all five clans started a dreaded cycle and took things too far. Just to define what I mean, one of my fellow cadre fell in love with a Himejima Clan member and they had a daughter, and... they tried to both her and her child when he had to leave for a mission." She confirmed.

Hearing those words, everyone gasped in horror, while Tobio sweated a bit. It was becoming clear why his grandfather didn't take his grandma's name.

"Just loving a Fallen Angel and having a daughter with one is enough to be kicked out, much less hunted by members of their own family? Are you serious?" Natsume asked, feeling her body trembling.

"Well, can't blame a Fallen Angel having an influence. Even if it's wrong, a lot of Humanity assumes us and Devils as beings of evil, despite we're not." Penemue admitted, sighing a bit.

"Ouch, that has to bite." Kouki remarked.

Penemue nodded her head and then cleared her throat before continuing with her explanation.

"The names of these five clans are Doumon, Kushihashi, Shinra, Himejima, and Nakiri. However, the reason they're called the Five Principal Clans isn't because of their skills at exorcisms, but their connection to the Youkai deities known as the Five Holy Beasts. The Doumon Clan for Genbu, the Kushihashi Clan for Seiryuu, the Shinra Clan for Byakko, the Himejima Clan for Suzaku, and the Nakiri Clan for Ouryuu."

"Their powers, following the same pattern I use, represent water, wood, metal, fire, and earth. This is because long ago, all 5 beasts became sealed within Sacred Gears of their own request, one that God chose to tie to their clans whose bloodlines alone are the only ones that can use them. Whenever the time to pass the clan head is chosen, they transfer over, giving their new hosts their Japanese name, with their Chinese name being tied to the Sacred Gear that's passed over."

Sae gasped at that moment, suddenly connecting a few dots.

"Five Principal Clans, and Five Fiends... the latter are the former's natural enemies, aren't they!?" She exclaimed.

Penemue whistled at that.

"Impressive Sae, that's exactly right. The Fiends are basically evil counterparts of the Holy Beasts, and what had them become Sacred Gears was trying to stop them. It worked, and God sealed the Fiends into their Sacred Gears, hoping it would eventually pacify their destructive nature." Penemue confirmed.

Right at that moment, Konton and Kyuuki froze before both of their eyes widened, finally recalling their most vital memory.

* * *

_In a remote area of ancient Japan, the sight of various elements clashing together was seen as chaos throughout the landscape, all caused by a battle between ten Youkai._

_The first battle was shown to be between a red bird resembling a phoenix as it faced off against a giant red bird with four wings, having a more fiendish and monstrous appearance that made it look to be the genuine dark counterpart to avian it was fighting._

_" **Vermillion Solaria!** "_

_" **Reverent Wail!** "_

_Flames and sound crashed, exploding into a wave of destruction across the landscape._

_The second battle that was shown soon revealed itself to be between a white tiger with metallic spikes protruding from a few areas of its body, whereas its opponent was a Tiger with furry wings and a lining of thick fur going across its spinal area to the beginning of multiple tails, which motioned themselves wildly like bolts of lightning._

_" **Iron Claw!** "_

_" **Discharge Avenger!** "_

_Metal and lightning met, cancelling each other out in a clash of attraction and repelling, not unlike two magnets with odd magnetic fields._

_The third battle was shown to be between a black tortoise that had a flat spiked shell, though more oddly was the marks of something wrapped both inside and through some spots of its shell's top, poking out as its tail in the form of a snake with four eyes and rocky scale patches that were both green. It faced off against a turtle-like creature that had wings resembling fins._

_" **Monsoon!** "_

_" **Entombment!** "_

_Water rained down from the sky in the form of reversed geysers, meeting sandy cyclones that shot upwards from the ground._

_The fourth battle was between an azure-colored Eastern Dragon with shimmering horns and scales like gemstones, which clashed against a dark blue creature similar to a wyvern, but its neck was much longer, as was its tail, and four bat-like wings._

_" **Dragon Tempest!** "_

_" **Famine Viper!** "_

_A strong gale of wind with leaves blew forward, crashing against a spray of acidic mist that rotted the leaves it hit, but only seemed to specifically do such damage against plant life, with any nearby animals just feeling slight disorientation._

_Finally, the last battle was between a golden Dragon that showed some traits from its fellow Youkai with a divine appearance, whereas its opponent was a golden, monstrous-looking Eastern Dragon. It had a face without a mouth, nearly resembling a mask with four eyes that were similar in shape to slash marks, a horn where its nose tip would be, four more horns on the diagonal directions of its head, pointing out in those directions._

_It had ten wings, with four of the pairs being the other Fiends' wings with their inner membrane/feathers/etc. being the same color as the fiend, while its own were more like the wings Albion's dragon had prior to being sealed. There were various rings spinning around its limbs, with kanji markings on them, and a tail that resembled a leaf fan in shape, but was prehensile to the point it was like a fifth claw._

_"You shall fall here today, Ouryuu!" The monstrous Dragon roared, revealing two mouths sliding out of their hiding place within the mask-like face._

_"No, it is your end today, Sokuryu!" The divine Dragon replied._

_Ouryuu's eyes glowed as chunks of earth did the same, firing towards his enemy. Sokuryu's eyes glowed in return, followed by her siphoning energy out of hidden areas and having it slingshot against the opposing attack._

_A huge explosion resulted from the massive clash of powers, blinding the area in a huge flash._

_Before anyone knew it, the light began to swirl like a white hole's vortex, and five of the creatures screamed as it swallowed them up, revealing it to be the more monstrous half of the ten._

_"This isn't the last of us, you hear!?" Konton screeched, disappearing in a red flash._

_"You will pay, all of you!" Kyuuki roared, vanishing in a green flash._

_"We cannot be stopped by you! This is not our end!" Toukotsu bellowed, blinking away in a black flash._

_"Get back here so we can kill you!" Toutetsu demanded, warping away in a blue flash._

_As she was the last to be pushed in, Sokuryu glared at Ouryuu and his fellow Youkai deities, she released a horrid sound from her two mouths._

_"One day... our powers will clash again, we swear!" Sokuryu promised, falling into the vortex after in a golden flash._

_With that, the Five Fiends disappeared, leaving only five unique weapons behind that eventually dissolved, officially registering them into the Sacred Gear system for their first wielders to eventually inherit._

* * *

Finally seeing the flashback of their memory end, the two shook their heads.

 **«"Yes... now I remember, we did face them with such malice and rage back then. All we had was pure violence."»** Konton remembered.

 **«"And God was right, we did have our aggressive sides tempered. It seems we grew to... care for our partners."»** Kyuuki admitted.

Natsume smiled at that, while Kouki looked away as he pet Kyuuki slightly.

"If you remember, then can you tell us about the other Fiends?" Vali asked, looking at Konton closely.

Konton scratched her head for a moment.

 **«"First, there's the matter of our finer details. My Sacred Gear's name is the Turbulent Hundun, while Kyuuki's is the Raging Qiongqi."»** She replied.

 **«"As for the others? First is Toukotsu, his Sacred gear is the Vicious Taowu, which has power over sand. Then we have Toutetsu, her Sacred Gear the Venomous Taotie, which has the power of acids... though ones that are only fatal to plant life."»** Kyuuki continued.

Both paused, remembering the strongest Fiend, making them briefly shiver.

 **«"But our leader, the strongest of the fiends, is Sokuryu... who lives in the Sacred Gear known as Empirical Zhulong, which manipulates energy. She's a full opposite of Ouryuu, being a female Eastern Dragon to his male Western Dragon, and oh boy... do they hate each other."»** Konton finished.

Everyone gulped at her expression when she said that, making Vali cough to break the ice.

"This situation seems too big for just us, so why do we not have more of your fellow Fallen Angels with us?" Kouki questioned, looking at Penemue.

"Simple, because... we can't get any. The supernatural world has had a lot to focus on in recent years and it's spread us fairly thin. Grigori's keeping tabs on certain Sacred gear holders, the Angels and Devils are carefully trying to make peace due to an Exorcist and Clan head that's fallen in love, and the Demons are keeping eyes on the movements of this group they've noticed." She explained.

Kouki sweated at that, but she held a hand out.

"Don't worry, that doesn't mean we won't be getting any help at all. It just won't be much." Penemue reassured them.

He sighed in relief, wiping his forehead.

After this, he and everyone saw Penemue stand up before walking back a bit, and then kneeling to all of them. Vali and Lavinia had an idea of why she was doing this, but the others were a bit confused and surprised by it.

"I don't have the right to ask this of you, as more than likely, your only concern at the moment is to save your captured classmates and the friends you've all lost. However, I beg of you... please help us stop this! Your friends were just the beginning, and we may not get the same luxury of being able to save anyone else that could get involved in this." She begged them, putting her face to the ground.

Tobio and his fellow classmates were shocked. One of the most powerful Fallen Angels in the world was standing right before them, someone who had taken many lives in the Great War, and yet... right now? She was the one on her knees, begging for strength she didn't have.

After a few moments, Natsume stood up from her seat.

"Whatever their reasons were, those bastards took our classmates and some of my friends away before attacking me out of nowhere, just because of some petty vendetta? I can't walk away from this. You can't count me in." She agreed.

 **«"Same here! Just like God thought, I'm pacified against wonton violence and like the peaceful life I have now! To Hell with fulfilling their stupid delusions!"»** Konton agreed.

Kouki cracked his knuckles, smirking a bit.

"Don't even need to ask me. They've still got my best friend, and I'm not letting them go. So, I'm gonna show them why I'm a delinquent in the most heroic way possible... even if I have to crack open a few skulls to do it!" Kouki smirked, showing his teeth.

 **«"Yeah, that's right! Call us Fiends all you like, but even we can change from our past selves into something greater, and we have!"»** Kyuuki agreed.

Tobio tightened his fist, holding it up before nodding.

"You already know my answer. I promised to save everyone, and I will save them... no matter what it takes!" He agreed.

"Me too, I was there to see it all... so I can't walk away from this!" Sae nodded.

Following their replies, both Jin and Hibiki walked by their respective partners sides as their answer.

Lavinia and Vali smiled in response, while Penemue began to tear up at their words. They had all gone through a lot, but they weren't afraid to stand up for what was right.

'This team might just be able to save them... no, they _will_ save them. I'm sure of it.' She thought happily.

"Alright everyone! With this, the Slash/Dog Team's mission is set!" Vali cheered.

Kouki hummed for a bit.

"You know what? I think the name's actually growing on me a bit, probably because of how Jin made that guy wet his pants." He chuckled.

Everyone paused for a moment, only to start laughing after Vali failed to contain her own.

"OK, that's a _little_ funny." Penemue admitted.

She turned around, covering her mouth as it quickly became clear she thought it was more than a little funny to her.

* * *

Later that night, in another area of Ryoukuu Town, the sight of someone running through the shadows was seen as a few Utsusemi chased him.

"You ready?" He asked.

 **«"Let's show them!"»** A female voice replied.

The unknown boy jumped up and spun around as a large two-handed Hammer appeared in his hands. Diving back down, he flipped through the air and slammed it on every Utsusemi that was after him.

" **Desert's Tomb!** "

An explosion of sound fired into the air, immediately getting from friend and foe alike.

* * *

**And there you have it, the first arc's over and the mystery about Sae has been revealed... which is she's Koneko and Kuroka's cousin! Ishibumi had made SLASHDOG before DxD, so I always wondered why he never really tried making a connection between them due to the shared surname, as he had the perfect chance for it. As such, I decided to make it by having Sae's father be the brother of their mom.**

**For why I gave Fujimai a different name? It's because of the naming theme for her daughters, as Kuroka means "Black Song" and Shirone means "White Sound", while one of the meanings that can be applied to Hibiki is "Echo", which is often used to define a type of noise. Even Shindo's name fits this theme, as it means "Vibration", with only Sae's name being an exception due to her being Human.**

**The reason why Sae is a normal human relates to how it was mentioned mating between Nekomata and Humans results in pure Nekomata from the union. However, then I recalled male Nekomata were said to be rare, and it made me wonder if Koneko and Kuroka would have been human if their mother was one as well. Due to how I define Youkai in the universe of my story, I decided to expand on that.**

**Basically, as was mentioned in this chapter, a union between a pure Youkai with any other supernatural race will have the child be the same species as their mother. As Sae's mom was the Human in the pair, that meant Sae was born a Human as a result, but she still got some Nekoshou traits power wise that she hasn't fully realized as of yet. Luckily, she now has her aunt on call to teach her.**

**Speaking of which, I doubt anyone expect to see Sae having a Sacred Gear that was connected to Vali like it was. However, since it was mentioned that Tsubaki's Mirror Alice was a power that turned into a Sacred Gear, I decided to do a similar thing. As for why she has a Lynx, it's partially due to being the host for Cowardly Leo in canon giving her a cat theme (plus there's her surname), and something else you'll see later in the story.**

**Penemue's finally returned, and now the group can start acting more, now that they know what they're looking for and know Utsusemi Agency by name. Though the challenge is finding the last three of the Five Fiend holders before anyone in the Utsusemi Agency does, and it seems the latter has already locked their sights on one them... our heroes better hope they can find him in time.**

**Well, this arc has finally come to an end, with the next one being a search for the remaining Five Fiend wielders, as the Slash/Dog team needs its seven members (as in the official ones) to gather together before they have any chance to win against the Utsusemi Agency, and have enough time to create the unity they need to make their success possible.**

**Now, the main question is... what does the Utsusemi Agency exactly need the Five Fiends for? Just controlling them isn't going to work, and when you consider how they're making these Utsusemi in the first place, there's different something deeper in the surface. Hopefully, they'll figure it out as their other allies are slowly drawn towards them.**

**Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^**

* * *

** Bust Size of New Female Characters ** **:**

**None**

* * *

** Brief Summaries of Weaponry/Equipment/Abilities in Today's Chapter ** **:**

**【** **Five Fiends** **】**  
**A group of five dangerous Youkai who were corrupted and caused devastation across Japan in ancient times, but were stopped by the Youkai deities known as the Five Holy Beasts.**

**【** **Utsusemi Agency** **】**  
**The organization made up of exiles from the Five Principal Clans, being the ones behind the cruise liner accident and the creation of the Utsusemi.**

**【** **Holy Beasts** **】**  
**A group of five Youkai who managed to become deities and faced the Five Fiends long ago, though currently reside with the Heads of the Five Principal Clans in the present day.**

**【** **Five Principal Clans** **】**  
**The Five Clans who are bound to the Five Holy Beasts. Due to their strict choices over the years, they indirectly responsible for the Utsusemi Incident.**

* * *

** Pairings List ** **:**

**Tobio/Sae - Dating**  
Azazel/Penemue - Married  
Albion/Fafnir - Married


	5. Chapter 5

**Dang... I never expected it to take so long to make the next chapter, sorry about that everyone. My intent was to get far enough in the first arc of LOHD before I got here, but as you can tell, that didn't end up happening. Anyways, there's a few things that I should say before we begin today's chapter, with the first one relating to the remaining hosts of the Five Fiends.**

**One of them is an OC, as Sokuryu isn't a canon Fiend in the story (or maybe isn't one yet depending on what Ishibumi does), while the other two are the canon wielders. However, one of them will be gender bent, meaning he's a girl in this story. The second thing is while we at least know their names, I'm not totally sure if they've appeared beyond mention, so the other's design will be one of my creation.**

**Now, with all of that cleared up? We can officially begin today's start notes. *clears throat* As of this point in the story, all bets are off for where things will go, because we're no longer following the canon story. You may see me through in bits and pieces, but most of what comes next will be an original story line, not to mention we'll be adding a bit more romance in here, both for current couples and a few new ones.**

**The next important thing to mention is that the story is planned to represent the first novel. While there are a few more volumes that will follow, if the Slash/Dog Team of this story's universe ever have their own versions of the events of those adventures, it will most like be in another story. Nothing's set in stone for this at the moment, but I'll probably have a more definite answer near the end.**

**For now, we'll be starting this arc with the search for the remaining three survivors of Ryoukuu High as the Utsusemi Agency starts making bigger moves due to the knowledge of three Longinus wielders trying to protect them, and get more insight on the meeting between Suzaku, who's waiting for a meeting between her and the other new heads of the Five Principal Clans.**

**So, with all of that said... let the chapter begin!**

* * *

**()** \- Albion Talking

 **«»** \- Consciousness of any other Sacred Gear Talking

〖〗 - Voice Speaking through a Magic Circle

 **「」** \- Insert Song Beginning, or Ending

 **【】** \- Voice made by an Announcement, or through an Announcer

 **⟨⟩** \- Custom Spell's Aria Chant

『』 - Electrical Voice or Machine Speaking

* * *

** Five Fiends **

**A group of four Youkai that were corrupted and changed into darker forms. Despite not being Demons in any form, they are officially considered as demonic counterparts to the Five Holy Beasts due to their similar appearances. The members of this group are known as "Konton of the Chaotic", "Kyuuki of the Deviousness", "Toukotsu the Ignorant", and "Toutetsu the Gluttonous", who are all lead by "Sokuryu the Malevolent."**

**Due to their Sacred Gears using their Chinese names, which are Hundun, Qiongqi, Taowu, Taotie, and Zhulong... many believe the Five Fiends originated from ancient conflicts between China and Japan, where the abnormal negativity led to their births being tainted by darkness, with evidence tied to how Youkai stopped being born through non-natural means around this point in time.**

**Further proof is tied to how they chose to terrorize Japan soon after, despite it being the land that birthed them, and ended up in a major battle with the Holy Beasts that ended in their defeat. After their loss, God decided to seal them all into Sacred Gears, hoping that their experiences with Human partners would eventually temper and pacify their malice. To the relief of the Shinto Pantheon, it succeeded.**

**What sets them apart from their counterparts is that each member has wings, where Byakko, Genbu, and Seiryuu do not, with each one's wings being different from the others (excluding Zhulong having the wings of her brethren alongside her own) and resembling what kind of creature they are. Also, unlike Genbu who's a tortoise with a snake for a tail, Toukotsu is a turtle.**

**Due to reasons that are currently unknown, the Utsusemi Agency's ultimate goal relies on using the Five Fiends and their respective hosts' powers to take their revenge against the Five Principal Clans. However, Penemue worries that they have another agenda for doing this besides revenge, though has no idea what else they could do besides fight the Clan Heads on equal grounds.**

**It is said that the Five Fiends are at their strongest when united as their powers will synchronize with one another, making the absence of one enough to hinder the strength of the rest. The Utsusemi Agency is seemingly taking advantage of this by hunting their hosts separately before they can find shelter with the Slash/Dog Team, who have currently saved two of the five wielders.**

**Regardless of their full story, the Five Fiends are a dangerous force that must be kept away from the Utsusemi Agency at all costs.**

* * *

**_ Chapter 5, Gathering of the Five Fiends Arc: The Twin Fiend Fiesta _ **

A day had passed since Penemue had returned to the Slash/Dog Team's base, and Tobio was seen walking into the kitchen as he gave a wake-up stretch, with Vali cooking breakfast and the Fallen Angel leader sitting at the table with a coffee and newspaper.

"Good morning Tobio." Vali greeted.

"Hey Vali, and Penemue?" Tobio greeted, soon looking at the female cadre.

She lowered her newspaper a bit to look at him.

"Can you tell me why I just saw Sae meditating in her room like she's just fallen into a coma?" He asked.

Holding her finger up for a moment as she took a sip of her coffee, she then answered him.

"If I had to take a guess, she's most likely trying to connect to the power of her Nekoshou heritage by Hibiki's suggestion. Now that she knows what she can do, I'm pretty sure she wants to learn ASAP, as we never know when we'll get word of another survivor being spotted." Penemue guessed.

"Basically, she's training by focusing her thoughts?" He summarized it.

 **("Pretty much.")** Albion verified.

Jin quickly followed his partner in, and Vali placed a few bowls containing chunks of seasoned beef and marinated ham on the ground, which he quickly ate out of.

"So, how does it feel to have your Sacred Gear's full strength awakened?" She asked.

"What do you mean? I thought you needed a Balance Breaker to achieve that?" Tobio questioned.

"Oops, knew I forgot something." Penemue realized.

Folding her newspaper on the table, the Canis Lykaon wielder turned his attention to her.

"Your Longinus is special because of how it was created. The Inugami tried possessing a Sacred Gear that can manipulate shadows called a Night Reflection and nearly got sucked inside, which made it search for another it found in the form of a scythe. Due to this, the Canis Lykaon has its Balance Breaker by default." She explained.

"Really? It's that easy?" Tobio asked, showing surprise.

"Yes and no actually. Because two Sacred Gears were involved, you still have an evolved level of your Balance Breaker to unlock on your own, so it would be best to define you as having awakened the full power of your Longinus within its limits." Penemue clarified.

"I think I get it, you're saying that both Balance Breakers need to be unlocked to fully unleash my power and having access to one represents Jin having regained his grown-up body." Tobio realized.

The female cadre nodded her head and then went back to reading her newspaper.

 **«"Say, has anyone seen Natsume or Kouki around?"»** Jin inquired, all of his bowls licked clean of his food.

"Kouki, where the hell are you going!?" Natsume screamed.

Vali nearly dropped a pot she was holding at that, while Tobio was now fully awake from the scare of Natsume's loud screaming.

"Oh god..." Penemue sighed.

"Did I hear someone screaming?" Lavinia asked, peaking out of the bathroom as she held her toothbrush.

"Yeah, and it sounds like Kouki pissed Natsume somehow." Penemue sighed.

Getting up from her seat, the female cadre went to the entrance, followed by Tobio and then Vali, who briefly stopped to look at Lavinia.

"If Sae wakes up anytime soon, tell her we're defusing an argument." Vali requested.

Meeting the others outside, the sight of an annoyed Kouki on his motorcycle was seen, with an angry Natsume standing by him.

"Will you shut up? I'm just going for a small ride." Kouki groaned.

"No, you're not going out there by yourself when there's still hundreds of Utsusemi out there to attack you! Do you want us to repeat the situation we nearly died in trying to find you!?" Natsume shouted.

"Stop being bossy!" Kouki shouted back.

"I am not bossy! You take that back, right-" She screamed in return.

Kouki kicked part of his bike, instantly spraying oil on her chest with incredible accuracy. Seeing her stained outfit and dirty skin, Natsume finally snapped.

"That's it!" Natsume screamed.

Forming her Sacred Gear, she instantly shot his bike, causing it to steam up as it fell over.

"How dare you!" Kouki roared in response.

Vali instantly pulled the others behind her and held out her right hand.

**("REFLECT!")**

Sound and lightning bounced off the magic circle she formed from her gauntlet, and after a few second... both the hosts of Konton and Kyuuki were on the ground, twitching from their little scuffle.

"Remind me that I should NOT fix his bike until we finish this entire incident." Penemue asked.

"Agreed." Vali and Tobio nodded.

While the three kept watching, the female cadre began to notice something, and tapped her chin as a certain thought came to her.

'For some reason, I'm getting the feeling these two are acting like an old married couple.' She thought.

Both of them suddenly froze, feeling a chill go up their spines. The moment she saw this, Penemue gave an interesting smirk, making Vali give her a confused look.

* * *

Within another area of the world, the sight of a Monkey Youkai with red armor and a dark-skinned man who preferred to keep his eyes closed was seen, the former sighed as he briefly stopped.

"Well, that was a boring way to waste time." Bikou remarked.

"Bikou, you know very well why we had to get permission from Asgard." Baraqiel reminded him.

The Monkey Man groaned at that.

"And does that mean I have to like the fact?" Bikou questioned.

"True..." Baraqiel admitted.

"I thought so, just let Penemue know we're finally heading back." The Monkey Man replied.

Opening up a magic circle, Baraqiel contacted the female cadre.

〖"Hey Baraqiel, what's up?"〗 She answered.

"Penemue, we've finished getting the agreement from Asgard to let Brynhildr train Vali." Baraqiel replied.

"Oh, speaking of that... why didn't we see Vali? I thought Penemue said she would be staying with us for a while due to Lavinia and her needing to take care of something?" Bikou recalled.

Upon hearing that, the male cadre remembered that as well.

"Bikou's right, why didn't Vali meet with us?" He asked.

Right at that moment, Penemue started to give a nervous laughter, making Bikou and Baraqiel raise an eyebrow at her response.

〖"Well... would you believe me if I said Vali convinced her to take her with us and help with the current incident me and Lavinia are dealing with?"〗 She asked nervously.

"Wait... she's what?" Baraqiel asked.

Penemue immediately dodged the question by hanging up, making the circle disappear.

"Uh... what the hell just happened?" Bikou questioned.

"Pack up all our stuff, we're heading to Ryoukuu Town." Baraqiel decided.

Bikou blinked, still feeling lost.

* * *

Sae's eyes opened up, and she stretched a bit, getting Hibiki's attention.

 **«"How was it?"»** She inquired.

"I'm not sure how to describe it, but... it feels like I'm more in tune with myself, if that makes any sense." Sae answered.

As she tried to get up, she fell off the bed.

"Uh... Hibiki? My legs are still asleep... a little help?" She begged.

The lynx chuckled a bit, and soon got her head underneath her partner's body, helping her into the kitchen. When she arrived, she suddenly saw a sight more interesting than hers, which was an oil-covered Natsume with a slightly singed Kouki.

"Is this something I should know about?" Sae questioned.

"That depends... do you want to?" Lavinia asked, implying that she didn't want to know.

"Uh... no thanks." She replied.

Using her arms to pull herself onto a table chair, she sat herself down for Breakfast.

"I hate you." Natsume whispered.

"And I hate you." Kouki retorted.

Sae raised her eye as Vali poured her a bowl of food, while Hibiki began eating her bowl of fish chunks and chicken.

"Alright, look alive everyone, because last night... I got word from some of the Shinto Pantheon's ninjas that the Utsusemi went after someone." Penemue began.

"You mean we've spotted another of the Five Fiends?" Vali questioned.

"That's right. At the moment, I don't know any information other than the fiend's wielder uses a hammer and they were male." Penemue recalled.

Natsume's scrunched as she tried thinking of who it was.

"Do you have any more information that we can work with, or is that it?" Tobio inquired.

"Hmm... they said he was a bit hyper." Penemue mentioned.

"I think I know who it is! That sounds like our school's Olympics Representative, Hyousuke Koga!" Sae realized.

"Oh yeah, the guy who acts like he has an endless Sugar Rush." Natsume recalled.

"Hmm... yeah, I can see him using a hammer, considering he did incredibly well during that one hammer throw in gym class." Tobio mentioned.

Vali blinked, wondering what that was.

"It's a thing where you throw something like a miniature wrecking ball to see how far you'll throw it." Lavinia explained.

"Oh." She replied.

Sae looked through her phone, and soon found an image of everyone during a Freshman Sports Event.

"This is him, right here." Sae stated, zooming on his face.

Hyousuke was shown to be a boy with shaggy black hair and quite the lean figure, with an excitable expression on his face. However, the most defining feature he had was a missing tooth noticed from the toothy grin he gave.

"Why's he missing a tooth?" Vali asked.

"I... don't know actually, but I'd assume he may have lost it during a small sporting accident." Natsume suggested.

"At least it won't be too hard to find him with it." Kouki remarked.

Penemue immediately chugged all of her coffee and stood up before the rest of the Slash/Dog Team.

"Come on everyone, let's go find him!" She announced.

* * *

Back at the meeting grounds that Suzaku and Seiryuu were waiting at, the sight of a girl with white hair was looking behind some trees, wearing the same outfit as them with black as the secondary color.

"So, those two are the current Suzaku and Seiryuu?" She wondered quietly.

"Who's there?" A male voice growled.

Hearing that voice, the girl shook a bit as she turned around, noticing a red-haired man standing behind her. He was wearing the same outfit as the rest of them, only with green in place of the black.

While there was no Holy Beast tied to the color green, Kyuuki was sealed into a Sacred Gear with a green flash, likely indicating the color represented Byakko.

"Hold on? The new Genbu is... a little girl?" He questioned.

The girl, now revealed as Genbu, immediately ran away from him as her shy nature caused his proximity to overwhelm her. Byakko blinked in confusion until she saw her crash into Seiryuu's butt, making her fall over.

"W-who's there!?" Seiryuu asked, blushing as she held her butt with both hands.

"Look behind you..." Byakko said, pointing at Genbu.

Suzaku and Seiryuu turned to see him walking into view, then looked at where he motioned to see the dazed Genbu, her eyes currently in the shape of spirals.

"Genbu's new host is a child?" Suzaku blinked, unable to believe it.

"I'm not sure if we should view that as her being wise beyond her years, or Genbu being desperate..." Byakko replied.

Looking at them, he held out a hand.

"Anyways, forgive the delayed introduction, but I'm the current Byakko Shinra." He greeted.

"Wait a second..." Seiryuu hummed.

Byakko raised an eye as she circled around him, almost as if trying to notice something in particular, and then she gasped as she realized it.

"I think I've seen you once. Didn't you use to go by the name Haku Shinra?" Seiryuu recalled.

"You're right, and I'm glad that I've shed that name to become the new Byakko after having to see my father leave to join the Brave Saints out of spite to my idiot of a grandma, and my sister got kicked out for having little control over her magic." He confirmed.

He looked at Suzaku, giving a look of understanding.

"Basically, I can completely sympathize with the situation of your two cousins." Byakko stated.

Suzaku showed brief surprise, but took it as a good sign because it showed he was already in agreement with her and Seiryuu.

At that moment, Genbu finally got up and nervously covered her face.

"Calm down, no one here's gonna hurt you." Seiryuu reassured her.

Hearing that, Genbu slowly revealed her face, and got back on her feet, shaking a bit as her shyness took over.

"..." Genbu said, too quietly to be heard.

"Uh... a little louder? That was too quiet for us to understand." Seiryuu asked.

"..." Genbu repeated, still being too quiet to hear.

"Nope, still can't hear what you're trying to tell us." Suzaku mentioned, sweating a little.

She whimpered a bit.

"OK, that's it." Byakko groaned, walking behind her.

He slapped her on the back a bit, nearly making her fall over as she took a deep breath.

"M-my name is Genbu Doumon, and it's nice to meet you all! I know that how I look might be awkward for a 15-year old, but I honestly didn't expect to become the new Genbu, so please don't be disappointed!" She screamed out.

She immediately covered her mouth in embarrassment, while everyone looked at her in shock.

"You're 15!?" Seiryuu exclaimed in shock.

"I call foul play here! There's no way you're 16 with that body!" Byakko shouted, shaking his head in denial.

Genbu blinked, and then looked at her outfit.

"Aw man, thought I fixed the size of this thing. Let me just..." She sighed, placing her hands on her chest.

Using her Chi, she adjusted the outfit to a fitting size.

The moment she did, all three of them went white as their remaining doubts were destroyed, showing that she was actually quite busty. To be more precise, she had a body not unlike Serafall's petite yet buxom form.

"Holy... I didn't think there were other people who had the current Asmodeus' figure." Byakko breathed in shock.

Genbu gave an embarrassed chuckle in reply, blushing a little.

"Hey, now that I think of it... where's the new Ouryuu?" Seiryuu asked, scratching her head.

Byakko's thoughts were interrupted as he heard that, and suddenly gave a nervous look as he recalled something important to this meeting between the five heads.

"This area's part of the Nakiri Clan, shouldn't they have gotten here before the rest of us?" He mentioned.

"You're right, why aren't they here yet?" Suzaku realized.

Right as the four began thinking about it, Seiryuu suddenly heard her phone ring, making everyone look as she pulled it out.

"Hello?" She answered.

『"Uh... is this the current Seiryuu speaking?"』 A male voice asked.

"It is, and... wait a second, is that you Ryuuta?" Seiryuu answered, right before she realized who the caller was.

『"No way, is that you Ayami? You're the new Seiryuu?"』 Ryuuta answered.

"Yeah, and I'm guessing by your question that you must be the new Ouryuu. We were just wondering why you aren't here yet when it's your territory." She confirmed.

He gave a nervous laugh.

『"Well..."』 Ouryuu replied.

* * *

In a certain area in the streets, the sight of a blonde teen that was better known as Ryuuta Nakiri could be seen, wearing his own shrine outfit with golden-yellow as the secondary color. He was currently holding map in one hand and his phone in the other, a confused look on his face.

"I don't know how it happened, but I think I'm lost! Do you know what direction I need to go to reach you guys from... aw crud, how do you pronounce this?" He explained.

Right at that moment, the map blew away to his horror.

"Uh... actually, can one of you come and get me? The wind just took my map away." Ouryuu nervously chuckled.

* * *

Seiryuu blinked a bit as everyone listened, with Genbu and Byakko blinking at each other in between blinks aimed at her.

"Oh boy..." Seiryuu sighed.

Rubbing her forehead, the new head of the Kushihashi Clan released a sigh.

"Hold on, I'm coming to pick you up." She promised.

『"Thank you!"』 He shouted.

Ending the call, she used her GPS to track where he was and then headed off.

"I'll be right back, just... I don't know, set up what topics we'll be discussing or something until then." Seiryuu suggested.

As she left the area, Genbu and Byakko looked at Suzaku as she shrugged her arms in response.

* * *

Back at the entrance to the Slash/Dog Team's hideout, Penemue stood before the rest of the team as they were horizontally lined up before the Fallen Angel cadre.

"Due to the lack of time we have to find this one, we'll be splitting up into pairs while I go solo." Penemue decided.

"Why do you get to go solo?" Kouki grumbled.

Penemue got close to him, her eyes glowing threateningly to his horror.

"Because not only was I once of God's strongest Angels, but I survived a large-scale war, and actively run an organization for my kind's survival while raising two children that include a brat. Do I need to give you more proof?" She questioned.

Kouki could only reply with panicked breathing.

"Good, we're on the same page. As for the groups themselves? Tobio will go with Vali, Kouki will travel with Lavinia, and Sae is with Natsume. Among all of us, these are the pairs that I see haven't had as much experience working together. That... and for obvious reasons, I can't leave a certain duo together." Penemue continued.

Natsume and Kouki looked away from each other, both huffing a bit.

"Alright, my search will go to the North, while the rest of you take West, East, and South respectively. Now get out there and make sure this survivor doesn't fall into the Utsusemi Agency's hands!" Penemue exclaimed.

She instantly took flight, masking his presence as she flew through the sky.

"Let's go!" Vali cheered.

"Don't treat this like a kiddie game." Kouki replied in annoyance.

* * *

Around the southern area of Ryoukuu Town, the sight of Sae and Natsume walking around was seen, with a leash around Hibiki's neck to help make her look like a dog as she used her Youjutsu to disguise anything that would make someone question her usual appearance.

"Really hope this doesn't take too long, for more than one reason." Natsume stated.

"That may be hard when you consider that Hyousuke's likely been bouncing all over the place." Sae chuckled, a sweat drop on her face.

Natsume sighed at that, looking at her partner.

"I need a distraction from the lack of finding anything, tell me about how you feel about learning your father was a Cat Spirit." She begged, covering her face with her hands.

Konton looked at her partner oddly, moving one of her wings in a way reminiscent to someone scratching their heads.

"Well, I don't really think it's really something to think too hard on. I never got to know my father, and as for my mom never telling me anything, she could have easily just been hurting over his loss. I remember how sad she had been at times when we were in Kyoto... I bet she knew like my father, Aunt Hibiki and my cousins could have met the same fate." Sae admitted.

Natsume showed surprise at how mature Sae currently sounded.

"It was probably hard enough for her to bear that burden, and she didn't want me to feel the same, especially when Tobio had to move in with us after his grandmother passed away. Because of that, I take what I've learned about my father to be like a coming of age reward." She said, finishing with a smile.

"Wow, that was... pretty mature sounding. Guess I thought having lived a normal Human life would make you have a different reaction." Natsume admitted, rubbing her head.

Sae gave a playful chuckle at that.

"If my father was still alive and Tobio's parents and grandma never died, maybe that would have been the case. I don't think going through that is exactly a _normal_ thing for most people." she replied.

"Oh... I guess that isn't a usual thing, is it?" Natsume realized, blushing in embarrassment.

Right at that moment, Hibiki suddenly picked up a strange scene and began sniffing to get a better analysis of it. She eventually turned around and made a whimper to the female duo, who realized she needed to talk with them, and they moved into a nearby alley space.

"Aunt Hibiki, did you find something?" Sae asked.

 **«"I did, the scent of sand."»** Hibiki confirmed.

"Then you managed to find Hyousuke?" Natsume inquired.

Hibiki showed a troubled look at that.

 **«"Unfortunately, I'm unfamiliar with the scent of sand, so while I can tell I'm smelling it? I can't tell if it's fresh or not. What I'm picking up may only be where he was before, rather than his current location."»** She explained.

This left the duo a bit stumped on how they should proceed.

"Then what should we do?" Natsume wondered.

 **«"I recommend we follow the scent. Even if we don't find him there, we might be able to tell where he moved if some sand got on him without notice, and we'd have the old sand to help Hibiki compare to help her tell the difference between the fresh scent of newer sand."»** Konton suggested.

"Sounds like a plan, lead the way Hibiki." Sae agreed.

Nodding her head, the white Lynx rushed ahead, nearly making her partner fall as she, Natsume, and Konton all followed where her nose guided her.

As they did, none of them realized one of their possessed classmates had been watching from afar.

" **Hunt...** " He whispered.

walking back, he jumped to the ground as his Utsusemi slowly followed their path.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the eastern area of Ryoukuu Town, the sight of a grumbling Kouki was noticed as he walked with Lavinia, who was eating a vanilla ice cream on a cone, with Kyuuki on his shoulder.

"Will you take this seriously!?" Kouki demanded, pointing at her ice cream.

"But I am, you have to remember a Magician's got their own way of doing things to compared to a Human, or any other supernatural being for that matter." Lavinia replied, playfully sticking her tongue out with a wink.

He growled at that, leaving him a bit off-guard as Lavinia put his head, making feel even more annoyed as a result.

"Will you stop that!?" He screamed.

"Wow, you really are peeved over what your crush did to your bike." She remarked.

Kouki suddenly froze at that, while Kyuuki got a bit interested at his partner's reaction.

 **«'This should be interesting.'»** He thought, giving a genuine cat-like smile due to his nature of being a creature like a Tiger.

Shaking his head, Kouki pointed at her with a blush.

"I do NOT like that prissy Secretary girl, she's an annoying by the rules girl and I can't stand her!" He denied.

"Then why did I find her picture inside your wallet?" Lavinia asked.

His eyes immediately widened as he felt around for his wallet, finding it where he left it.

"Don't try to say I didn't look inside, because you dropped it when your bike fell over and I put it back... after peaking inside of it first." She giggled.

"You did what!?" He roared.

Kyuuki immediately started laughing the only way a feline could, which came off as some weird squeaking sound.

"Shut up Kyuuki!" Kouki demanded.

 **«"How about... no!"»** Kyuuki refused, still laughing at him.

"For the love of... why did I get stuck with idiots like you two!?" He questioned, gritting his teeth.

While that was happening, Lavinia suddenly noticed a magic circle form by her ear, distracting her for a minute as she moved her hand to answer it. While she wasn't looking, Kouki took a moment to stare at her gifted bosom.

Noticing this, one of the reasons that Kouki may actually _like_ Natsume became clear to Kyuuki.

 **«"Pervert."»** Kyuuki whispered, snickering a bit.

"Hey there Mephisto, what are you... wait, you mean it? You found proof that Walburga's definitely connected to the Utsusemi Agency!?" Lavinia gasped.

She listened more closely, still unaware of Kouki staring at her chest with a slight nosebleed.

"OK, thanks for telling me!" Lavinia smiled.

She hung up, leaving Kouki unaware of the fact as he kept staring... until Lavinia finally noticed and blushed at the action.

"Hey, stop staring!" She shouted.

Kouki finally regained his senses, paling a bit as he noticed she was looking at him.

"T-this isn't what it looks like, I swear!" He panicked.

"Oh, so that explains it." Lavinia realized, giving a playful smile.

"That explains nothing!" Kouki screamed.

Right as he tried to calm himself down, Lavinia noticed something running across the rooftops.

"We've got a runner on the rooftops!" She shouted.

"You saw him?" Kouki asked.

"Or an Utsusemi, so we've got to follow it regardless." Lavinia answered.

Both of them rushed towards the unknown figure the Absolute Demise wielder had spotted.

* * *

Finally, on the western area of Ryoukuu Town, the sight of Vali holding out her right hand was noticed, with Tobio walking by her as he held a leash connected to Jin for the same reasons Sae had one on Hibiki.

"Albion, are you sure that you'll be able to sense Hyousuke's Fiend?" Vali asked.

 **(I trust my sense of smell/ Though even if I can't find him, we do have one Dragon among the Fiend and a serpentine Wyvern, so I can at least detect them if I don't have any luck detecting Toukotsu.)** Albion replied.

Vali nodded her head, trusting in her partner's words.

"Hey Vali, mind if I ask you a question?" Tobio asked.

"Not at all, what is it?" Vali inquired.

Before asking his question, the Canis Lykaon's wielder took a moment to think on how he should word his inquiry.

"Well... being a Human/Devil hybrid, what's it like being the latter compared to the former? I'd ask Sae due to her heritage, but you said Youkai are unable to give birth to hybrid children." Tobio asked.

Scratching her cheek, the silvery-white haired Devil took a moment to think on that.

"Well... I'm not completely sure how to answer that, as there may not really be a clear divide between the two due to how God was the one who created the Human race in the first place. Although, from what I've been told... those with mixed heritage like myself aren't viewed too favorable as a whole among Devils, and the fact Lucifer's my great grandfather can only slightly mitigate it so much." Vali answered the best she could.

She then sighed a bit before looking to the side.

"Or, it would have if what happened 10 years ago didn't happen at all."

He blinked at that, looking at her.

"What happened exactly?" Tobio questioned nervously.

"Remember my grandfather? A decade ago, he gathered some members of the other Maou Clans to lead a violent revolt that ended up causing a civil war. It was horrible, with only my Clan due to my great grandma being the only surviving member that's still alive, the Lucifuge Clan that serves us due to their low numbers making them hard to hit, while the Asmodeus and Agrat Clans just had too many to have their damage considered higher than a small chunk."

"Either way, they attacked the clans that served them and caused untold chaos until seven Devils leading a group called the Old Maou Faction composed of everyone that still/always supported my great grandparents' rule crushed them, becoming a group called the Great Devils that have since acted as our new rulers, with Lucifer's death likely being covered by him going into something like a retirement. However, because the Maou Clan had members on the Anti-Maou Faction side..."

Once she said that, Tobio easily realized what she was implying.

"I get it... having any of them be Hell's enemies caused everyone to look at them the same, even though the survivors were likely scarred from it." He replied.

"Yeah, and I'm fairly sure my great grandma's the only exception because she's the Devil Queen, not to mention the Strongest Devil that's still alive." Vali confirmed, looking a bit sad.

Tobio walked up to her, petting her on the head.

"You've been through a lot, and I think it's incredible that you've managed to hold onto all of your hopes despite that." He smiled.

"Really?" Vali asked, blushing in surprise.

"I do, because had I been in your shoes, I'd have probably give up. Truth be told, I almost did once if it hadn't been for Sae, there's a good chance... that I could have done the unthinkable." Tobio admitted.

Vali's eyes widened at that.

"Don't worry, I never actually got that far. That's how quickly Sae intervened when I hit my lowest point." He reassured her.

She sighed in relief at that.

"Oh yeah, never really had a chance to ask this, but... this Issei friend you met? What exactly happened when you met him that helped you recover from the trauma of your grandfather?" Tobio inquired.

"Honestly? I don't really know." Vali admitted, a bashful look on her face.

"No idea at all?" Tobio asked.

"Yeah, it was just... I don't know how to describe it other than this. I felt like I was walking through an endless void of darkness. I barely reacted, could barely respond to what I saw or heard, almost as if I was just a dead body that could walk. Then I saw him, and in an instant, that darkness was swallowed by light as I saw him, smiling at me as if that alone pushed away the darkness." She explained, a slight blush as she smiled.

Noticing her expression, it became clear why Lavinia was always teasing Vali that she liked Issei.

Because from what he saw, that really was the case, and she just hadn't realized her own feelings just yet. Out of respect, he didn't say anything else about it.

"Guess there's always a way to save someone, even if it's as simple as finding the right person's smile." He remarked.

"Yeah, that's what I like... and I hope one day I can share that message with everyone." Vali agreed, looking at him with an even brighter smile with closed eyes.

Right at that same moment, she saw her right-hand flashing, getting the duo's attention.

 **(I just sensed the energy of a Dragon!)** Albion exclaimed.

"What!?" Vali exclaimed.

"Then, that means..." Tobio realized."

 **«"There's no doubt about it, we've found one of the other survivors! We can't waste this chance!"»** Jin replied.

Vali held out her arm, and soon saw the glow intensify towards Northeast from their current spot.

"This way!" Vali shouted.

The three of them rushed over, hoping they'd make it in time.

* * *

Deep within one of the more hidden areas of the city, someone wearing clothes that complete hid their appearance was seen rushing across the rooftops as they fled from a few Utsusemi chasing after them.

"Damn it, can't lose them." They replied through a muffled voice.

Realizing that they would be forced into a fight soon enough, their eyes scanned around the area... and then noticed the perfect location for them to go, holding out their sleeve.

In doing so, the sight of a blue snake with legs and bat wings slithering into view, hissing slightly.

"Toutetsu, are you ready?" They asked.

 **«"Of course, now show them why they made a mistake by attacking us."»** Toutetsu replied.

Wrapping around his partner's hand, Toutetsu created a chain whip with a tip resembling a Dragon's head that had horn-shaped hooks. In a few moments, the enigmatic wielder threw it towards a building ledge.

Swinging themselves around, the Utsusemi quickly followed them... only for them to tug part of the metal links in their chain, and sling shot themselves the other way, hooking onto a pole that swung themselves into the air.

"You lose." They smirked.

Spinning around, their chain whip swung at them as the eyes at the tip glowed. This glowing caused the links to suddenly jut out curved blades, slicing all the Utsusemi to ribbons, and causing all their hosts to lose consciousness.

As the partner of Toutetsu landed near them, they took a look at the captured students, but didn't find who they were looking for.

"Damn it... none of them are Morose." They grunted.

 **«"Shieri, your hat fell off."»** Toutetsu warned.

He watched his partner's eyes widen as they felt their head, revealing a lush waterfall of light blue hair spilling out of it. Panicking slightly, looked around for the hat before she grabbed it, put it back on, and stuffed her hair back inside.

"Just because those monsters are after me, doesn't mean I'm letting anyone with an actual brain notice me... I just hope no one did for that brief moment." Shieri sighed.

While she was distracted, two Utsusemi she had missed suddenly lunged at her, making Shieri gasp as she noticed them. However, before she could attack them? A loud shout went off as the sight of teenage boy with shaggy black hair was seen, swinging down a strange looking hammer. His attire consisted of a red shirt with a white hooded vest and khaki shorts.

The first Utsusemi's eyes widened as it shattered apart, and before the other could react, the hammer sprayed out some sand to launch the second one into the air before giving it the same fate.

"And that's a Double!" He cheered.

Looking at the hammer in his hands, Shieri's eyes widened.

"Toutetsu, is that..." Shieri asked.

 **«"It's been a while, hasn't it Toukotsu?"»** Toutetsu smirked, pulling his weapon back into his body.

Hearing his partner's name be called, the boy pulled out his hood out.

After doing so, the sight of a black turtle could be seen picking out of it before it swam through the air, meeting up with the blue snake wrapped around Shieri's left arm.

 **«"Toutetsu! Thank goodness, looks like neither of us have been caught by those freaks."»** Toukotsu said in relief.

The boy blinked a bit before realizing he found one of his partner's fellow... associates, he assumed?

"You must be another of the Ryoukuu High survivors, although... why are you wearing that?" He asked.

"Because nothing says those who control these monsters can sense our partners. Figured that I'd be able to limit who they send after me by making them unable to recognize who she's searching for." Shieri answered.

"Ah, the old game of misdirection." He realized.

Following that, he held out his hand.

"My name's Hyousuke Koga." He greeted, winking in reply.

"Uh... Shieri Nanadiru." She replied, shaking it.

Toutetsu suddenly paused, feeling part of his horn twitch as he heard something none of the others could notice. Shieri immediately spotted what her partner did and pushed Hyousuke to the ground. Their worries were proven right as a scorpion's tail narrowly missed them.

Looking up, they saw one of the newer kinds of Utsusemi staring them down, being a Scorpion creature with beetle wings in place of the usual arachnid's pincers.

"W-what the heck!?" Hyousuke gasped.

"I don't see any student with that one... I don't like what that's implying." Shieri sweated.

Realizing that her cover was likely blown, she ripped off her hiding clothes, letting Hyousuke see her beauty... which made him blush a bit.

Her actual outfit was a black and white T-shirt with triangle cuts on the end of the sleeves, with a slight cut showing her cleavage. Faded jean shorts with sleeves short enough that they nearly resembled bloomers, and brown sneakers with short pink socks.

"Gawk later, because right now, I think we'll need to work together." Shieri warned.

"O-oh, right!" Hyousuke replied.

Both of their partners manifested their weapons once again, while the Utsusemi before them gave a loud screech as it readied its stinger.

* * *

While flying around the northern area of Ryoukuu Town, nothing was happening within Penemue's line of view, and she was too far away to notice the events that the other members of the Slash/Dog Team had run into.

"Seriously, why is it always so hard to find something in situations like this?" She asked herself.

Deciding that she should try searching from the ground, but once she did?

"Huh?"

Turning around, she noticed some movements near an area by the city edge.

Deciding to get a bit closer, she got her answers as she saw a bunch of Golems made of ice, glass, tree bark, iron, and stone. Where the power of water made the ice Golems, the other four were born of fire, wood, metal, and earth.

"Just what is the Utsusemi Agency doing this area?" Penemue questioned, taking a closer look.

However, before she could get a better view or answers to their presence, a magical barrier suddenly formed around the area that surprised all the Golems... before most of them were suddenly cut in half.

'No way, is this-' The female cadre gasped, leaning in a bit.

An intense wave of energy suddenly shot from across the ground, and before Penemue could even register what was going on, a huge cloud of dust blinded the area.

She struggled to keep her vision, but she saw the sight of someone rushing by, and in various ways that she couldn't make out due to dust... this unknown figure managed to break, cut, blast, and pierce through all of the Golems in the area.

"You think weaklings like yourselves can capture me? That's a laugh! Now I'm gonna break you, in both ways!" A female voice shouted.

Launching herself forward, she managed to grab a Golem that was trying to flee (which Penemue noticed was three times larger than the others) and stabbed her fist into it. The golem's body twitched before it fell apart.

Once the dust cleared, Penemue saw the mess left behind and her eyes widened at the remains of the battlefield, with the girl no longer in sight.

"Holy freaking crap..." She breathed.

Turning her head, she looked towards the area the unknown female fled towards, and it was clear at that moment who the female cadre had found.

It was the one bonded to the strongest of the Five Fiends.

"Dang it... I can't tell if this was good luck, bad luck, or a horrible mix of the two that I managed to find the last Ryoukuu High survivor before losing her." She sighed.

She took to the sky once more, hoping to find the last survivor that just evaded her.

* * *

As the other three heads waited for the remaining two that represented the Dragons of the Holy Beasts, they were sitting around doing whatever they could the pass the time. Good news was their weight soon ended as Seiryuu walked into view.

"Wait, you mean this was the meeting place? Aw man!" Ouryuu groaned, realizing this was a few blocks away from the main Nakiri Shrine.

"I knew you were directionally challenged, but I never thought it was by this much." Seiryuu sighed.

He gave a nervous laugh in response.

"Look at that, guess we did have a young head among us." Byakko remarked.

"Huh? What do you mean? Isn't she young too?" Ouryuu questioned, looking and pointing at Genbu.

Everyone was confused, until Byakko looked at her.

"Does he not see me?" She asked.

"Unfortunately, no. Look at your outfit... again." He sighed as he pointed at it.

Looking down, Genbu saw that once again, her outfit's size didn't match her short yet busty frame.

"What!? Either this spell isn't working, or something's wrong with this outfit!" She groaned.

"It better be the latter..." Byakko whispered to himself.

Genbu reapplied her spell again, causing Ouryuu's eyes to widen at her real bust size before he released a huge nosebleed due to being completely off-guard.

"Uh... normally that would be extremely gross, but I guess we can let it slide considering the lack of warning." Suzaku replied, giving an awkward smile.

Ouryuu chuckled as he wiped his nose.

"I am 11, so it would be a lie to say I'm not at that age right now." He admitted.

Clearing his throat, all five heads gathered together.

"As you're all aware, I've called you all here because of the recent events of the Utsusemi Agency and the Five Fiends they're going after." Suzaku began.

"I already know about this." Ouryuu sighed.

Everyone looked at him in confusion, though Seiryuu's eyes widened as she began to realize it.

"Wait a second, do you know one of the current Five Fiends' hosts!?" She questioned.

Ouryuu shakes his head, making her sigh in relief.

"That's good-" Seiryuu replied.

"I'm related to one of them, to be specific... she happens to be my big sister that got exiled without warning last year." Ouryuu revealed.

Seiryuu immediately froze at that, followed by the others.

"Which... one?" Suzaku asked, giving a nervous gulp between the two words.

"Well..." Ouryuu replied.

* * *

Deep within another area of Ryoukuu Town, the sight of a newer Utsusemi was seen giving a roar resembling that of a T-Rex's as a single hand grabbed its face. The sight moved up to reveal a golden wrist guard around it.

"Pathetic, these creatures think they can handle me? I know their tricks as a Nakiri and even more... I've got you by my side." The female enigma remarked.

 **«"Exactly, those pathetic exiles are idiots to think they can stop us, much less control my or the other Fiends' powers in the slightest."»** Sokuryu replied, her silhouette beside her as her eyes glowed.

Tightening her grip more, the Utsusemi screamed more before its horns began to crack apart and it completely shattered.

Walking out of the shadows, the final Ryoukuu High survivor was revealed to be a blonde with long and wild hair, wearing a black leather coat with no buttons and short sleeves with two orange bands near the ends, red fingerless gloves, jean-colored khakis, and green shoes with white socks and laces.

"I may have gotten exiled like they did for what I had, but if those psychotic maniacs think I'm going to help them? Well, they're about to have their dreams crushed." She promised.

Sokuryu appeared besides her, her mini-form being the same as her true form if it was smaller.

 **«"There's more Utsusemi on the way Alicia, now let's destroy them!"»** Sokuryu shouted.

"Got it, it's game time." Alicia smirked.

Showing both her wrist bands, the left one formed an extension resembling Toutetsu's Sacred Gear, while the right one formed an extension like Konton's guns.

Jumping ahead, the sound of multiple explosions followed her trail.

* * *

Within a secret location, the base of the Utsusemi Agency came into view.

A young kid that was an exile of the Kushihashi Clan was seen doing something as the door opened. Turning around, he saw a white-haired woman with a creepy look on her face and he turned the other way.

"She's back!" He screamed.

Chuckling at his way of alerting the higher ups, she continued walking until she came to the office of the group's leader, Hanezu Himejima, who was currently facing his screen.

"Walburga, how are the new Utsusemi coming along?" He inquired.

"They're doing quite well. The Cowardly Leo was a good prototype and I've already sent out a few others to gather data for perfecting them, so it won't be much longer before stop using anymore of the cannon fodder." Walburga confirmed.

Hanezu's hidden face smirked a bit.

"Excellent, and the timing couldn't be more perfect." He replied.

Walburga noticed a sound form the screen, which revealed all seven faces of all the Ryoukuu High and the Sacred Gears tied to all of them.

"Oh, so have we finally identified everyone?" She inquired.

"Yes, the only issues so far are the Canis Lykaon's host was among them and one seems to have created a new Sacred Gear that destroyed the Cowardly Leo after we released it. Now that we've done this..." Hanezu answered.

Snapping his fingers, a door showing all of the remaining Second-Years that had yet to be rescued and their Utsusemi came into view, all of them still in a trance.

"Use the remaining prototypes however you'd like and swarm them." He smirked.

Walburga began laughing as she saw them, excited at the potential they could have in creating the perfect monsters.

"I hope you haven't forgotten your side of the deal." Walburga reminded him.

"Of course, there's no reason for me to go against it. Rizevim's vision fits what all of us want. As such, I can assure you..." He answered.

In another section of a base, a test tube showing a black and red oily mass in the shape of a sphere could be see, with a spot that seemed to resemble either a closed or possibly lifeless eye in it.

"With the power of the Five Fiends, this will be our first step in making all of our dreams a reality." Hanezu proclaimed.

At that moment, the eye flashed open to reveal the Utsusemi symbol inside.

* * *

**Uh oh... what is that thing the Utsusemi Agency has inside of that test tube? Is that the real reason they need the Five Fiends? Worse, the words Hanezu and Walburga brought up has confirmed Rizevim is involved in this mess, which means this strange whatever it is must be even worse than what implications are implying so far.**

**Either way, we've met every member of the survivors now, with one of them being Ouryuu's older sister no less! The reason I did this is because Tobio is only a second cousin to Akeno, and he isn't technically part of the Himejima Clan due to his grandma marrying out of it. As a result, I created Alicia to be a direct Nakiri, as the current Ouryuu in the latest DxD arc is around Issei's age.**

**As for Genbu? I'm not completely sure she resembles Serafall or how old she is, but Volume 24 described her as a "Loli" by Issei's point of view. As a lot of people like to consider that's what Serafall is due to how tall she is compared to people like her little sister and the other Maou, it seemed more likely for her body to resemble the energetic Devil.**

**We've gotten another pair of surprise appearances through Bikou and Baraqiel, with their appearances meaning exactly what you think. While there's been no signs of the former showing in SLASHDOG's canon, he's making an appearance because Vali met him in the previous year of her training journey, where she took some training from Sun Wukong and convinced him to let Bikou join her after it was over.**

**There's also Walburga making her debut, now confirmed to not only be helping the Utsusemi Agency, but having a major hand in the creation of the Utsusemi themselves. Not helping our heroes is she claims even the newer models who don't need hosts to survive aren't anywhere near finished, so how much stronger will the finished models be?**

**Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^**

* * *

** Bust Size of New Female Characters ** **:**

**Genbu Doumon - 98 cm**

**Shieri Nanadiru - 95 cm**

**Alicia Nakiri - 101 cm**

* * *

** Brief Summaries of Weaponry/Equipment/Abilities in Today's Chapter ** **:**

**None**

* * *

** Pairings List ** **:**

**Tobio/Sae - Dating**  
**Azazel/Penemue - Married**  
**Albion/Fafnir - Married**  
Natsume/Kouki - It's complicated  
Shieri/Hyousuke - On friendly terms


End file.
